Back Where We Belong
by Zane's Girl- Jo
Summary: Timelines change, people don't. The choices we make chart the course for our lives, and once you find the pieces of yourself that you're missing, everything comes together. Or does it? Instead of coming together, does everything unravel instead?... Set seven years after RFFTL ends.
1. Chapter 1

**Back Where We Belong**

**R****ifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Summary: Timelines change, people don't. The choices we make chart the course for our lives, and once you find the pieces ****of yourself that you're missing, everything comes together. Or does it? Instead of coming together, does everything unravel instead?... Set seven years after _RFFTL_ ends. **

"So... you and Jo? How's that going?" Zane Donovan looked up from the formulas on his tablet, as Sheriff Jack Carter took a seat beside him at the counter of Cafe Diem. He sighed, shrugging.

"Not as... good as expected, but-" He stopped, when a pair of small, slender hands slipped over his eyes. The person tilted his head back, and then he felt a soft pair of lips brush against his. A moment passed, before he reached up, taking the hands in his. "Careful, my girlfriend might see you-" His eyes widened in surprise at the sight of said girlfriend over him. She was sitting on a stool, and her mouth dropped in shock. "Hi... Jo... Akward." She wrinkled her nose; he took her hands, playing with her fingers.

"I will show you awkward." She replied, leaning down and capturing his lips in a gentle kiss. Carter chuckled as the two broke apart. He'd long gotten over Zane, and it was nice to see Jo so happy- or as happy as a woman in her situation could get.

It'd been a year since she'd shown up in this timeline, a year since she'd searched for two children that didn't exist, a year since she'd basically been forced to give up and accept the fact that this wasn't her time and that she would never get home. Though she hadn't completely given up, she just hadn't let Zane and the others know. She sat back, taking his hand and playing with his fingers. _Her_ Zane wore her wedding ring, proclaiming to everyone that he belonged to her. The sight of no such ring on this one's finger wrenched at her heart. But what tore it open, was the fact that _she_ wore no such ring. It was almost as if they'd never gotten married.

Then again, she didn't belong in this time, so...

"Here's your Bavarian Hammer, Jo." She glanced up, Vincent gave her a big smile, and she smiled back.

"Thanks, Vince."

"You all right?" He asked, noticing the hurt in her dark eyes. She nodded.

"Yeah, just... thinking, is all." He nodded.

"Well, if you need anything, let me know." Jo nodded. "Thanks." Once Vincent returned to work, Carter said,

"You sure you're okay, Jo?" She glanced over at him.

"Yeah. I... I'm fine." She ran her finger over the rim of her cup, staring into space, before getting up.

"Jo?" The other patrons turned to watched Carter's deputy stalk out of the cafe. A moment passed, before Zane rushed to catch up.

"Jo! Wait! Jojo!" She stopped at the door to the sheriff's office, sliding her lower lip over her teeth and clucking her tongue against the underside of her lower lip. Sighing, she turned to him, her dark eyes searching his.

"What do you want, Zane?" He took a deep breath.

"What's a'matter, Jojo?" She stared at him for a moment, before her gaze moved down to his hand.

"Nothing." Then, she pulled the door open and entered the office. Zane sighed, rolling his eyes and following her.

"It's not nothing, Jo. Something's bothering you-" He went to her desk, leaning against it as she sat down. "Now tell me what it is." She kept silent. "Jo, if you don't tell me what's bothering you," He said, going around her desk and perching on the edge, next to her. He stared into her eyes for a moment, before taking a seat on her desk and pulling her up, until she was standing between his legs, his arms around her waist. "I can't help make it better." He whispered, staring into her dark eyes. He pressed his lips to hers gently, drinking in her taste, as one hand moved up to grasp her head. Moments passed in content silence, before he slowly pulled away. "Now, what's wrong, Jojo?"

She licked her lips, pulling away from him and sitting back down. She grabbed her cup and took a sip, mulling over the best way to say what was on her mind without hurting Zane's feelings. After several minutes, she looked up at him, and with a sigh, said,

"I... I want to go home, Zane."

He furrowed his brow, confused, before chuckling softly. "Okay... I can take you home. Let me just go tell Carter and-" He started, getting up and going to the door, but she stopped him with her next sentence.

"I don't mean to your house. I mean to mine." Something in her tone caught him off guard, and he turned back to her.

"What do you mean-"

She swallowed, seeing the hurt in his blue eyes.

"I want to go home." He shook his head. "To _my_ home, Zane."

"I don't-"

She swallowed against the lump in her throat. "I want to go back to _my_ time."


	2. Chapter 2

**R****ifiuto: Non Miriena^**

**A/N: A ^ indicates the third alternate timeline- the timeline that Jo ends up in after she _left_ the original alternate, otherwise known as, the _RFFTL_ (Running for Far Too Long) timeline. And a # indicates the _original_ alternate timeline.**

She stretched, feeling his arms tighten around her waist, their legs tangling together. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, she glanced over her shoulder; he was sound asleep beside her, his body pressed against hers, face buried in her long, dark hair. She chuckled, reaching up and tangling her fingers in his thick black locks. Subconsciously, she scratched his scalp; he groaned softly in pleasure, pulling her closer. Moments passed, moments lost in thought, before she felt him nuzzle against her neck. A laugh bubbled up her throat, but before she could release it, he nudged his nose against her cheek, and she tilted her head up. "...'orning." He struggled to stifle a yawn, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. She turned in his arms to stare into his smokey, sleepy eyes. She reached up, running her fingers through his tousled dark hair.

"Morning yourself." He grinned softly, nudging his nose against her arm, before pressing a kiss to her soft skin. Eventually, she pulled away, tucking her arm under her head, and reaching out to trace the smooth muscles of his chest and abs. He watched her for several minutes, before leaning down and pressing a gentle kiss to her lips.

"I love you, Jo." She grinned at his whispered sentiment, nudging her nose against his.

"I love you, too." Their lips met in another soft kiss, and another and another and another; they lay in bed for hours, forgetting their usual run at six, that the girls needed to be up and dressed and ready for school by seven, that they both had to be to work at nine. They forgot that Henry had scheduled a Directors' meeting at ten thirty, and that Jenna had scheduled a meeting with Jo at twelve-fifteen. And they also forgot-

"Mommy! Daddy!"

That the girls always woke up around seven.

Zane groaned in annoyance, pulling away from her. She pulled him back, wrapping an arm around his waist. "Let it go. Just _let it go_." She pressed her mouth to his in a hot, openmouthed kiss. She pushed him back onto the bed, taking control as the kiss deepened-

_"Mommy! Daddy!"_ Zane pushed her away, catching his breath. She stared at him, her long dark hair tumbling around her shoulders. She ran her foot up his leg, and he hissed softly. A grin tugged at her mouth, and she leaned down, capturing his lips in another kiss. Their hands worked over each others' bodies, finding familiar curves and crevices, Zane stopped, once again pushing her away.

"I'm sorry, babe, but-" He turned to the door; Jo followed his gaze. Three raven-haired, blue-eyed, olive-skinned girls had poked their heads around the doorframe, and were watching their parents with surprised blue eyes. A moment passed, as Jo caught her breath, raking a hand through her long hair, before laying it back on her husband's chest.

"Um... huh... what are you doing?" She choked out, as Zane sat up, pulling her with him. She clutched the sheets to her chest, pulling her hair over one shoulder. Silence passed between them, and then slowly, the oldest stepped forward.

"Brookie tried braiding Lua's hair and... it got knotted. I can't get it out." She turned back to the door, grabbing the youngest girl's hand and pulling her forward. She turned her sister around, showing their parents the tangled mess of an attempted black braid.

"Come here. Lua come here, baby." The child shuffled towards her mother, a pair of pink bunny slippers on her feet, to match the pink of her cameo pajamas. She was sniffling and as she climbed onto the bed beside Jo, her mother reached out and brushed her tears away. "Let me see." She turned the child around, getting a good look at the mess of black hair, as Zane got dressed. He tossed Jo one of his button-downs, and once she had it on and buttoned, she turned her attention to her youngest. "Can you grab me a comb, babe?" She called; she could hear the water running in the sink. Minutes later, Zane came out, tossing the comb onto the bed, before returning to the bedroom and starting the shower.

"Can you fix it, Mommy?" Jo glanced at her middle child, before gently taking the slender handle of the comb and gently working it between strands.

"Maybe. We'll have to see."

"If not, we could always shave her. It'd be a lot less hair in the drain that AIDA'd have to clean out." Jo rolled her eyes.

_"What?"_ Jo gently laid a hand on her daughter's shoulder, turning her back around.

"I really don't mind cleaning out the hair, Zane. As a house, I don't really have a preference." AIDA cut in.

"We are not _shaving_ Lua's head! We'll fix this, it'll just take... time." Jo replied, continuing her work. She heard the shower door shut and the water begin to run, followed by silence. The girls watched, silent, as Jo worked on their sister's hair.

"Or we could just shave the one spot, like they do with brain surgery patients." Jo's dark eyes moved to latch onto her oldest.

"We are not shaving Lua's head! Understood?" She snapped, the girls nodded. She stopped her work, leaning closer to get a good look at the flash of yellow within the mass of black. "Is that a... a yellow ribbon?" She demanded, tugging gently on it. Her head snapped up and she narrowed her eyes. "Why is there a yellow ribbon in Lua's hair?"

"Jenna does it." Brooke whispered, for the first time since entering her parent's room. "We wanted to try."

"_Jenna_ has been doing it since she was_ ten_!" Jo snapped. Her middle child sank back on her seat on the bed. "Jenna is practically a professional at braiding her hair. The girl could open up her own hair salon on braiding alone." Jo muttered under her breath.

"And the first thing she'd do would be to either cut or color your hair because it drives her nuts that you keep it in a ponytail instead of wearing it down." The girls turned as Zane entered the bedroom, hair damp from his shower. Jo_ hurmphed_, glaring at her husband.

"That's ridiculous."

"Oh really?" Zane raised an eyebrow. She turned back to their child, refusing to respond. After getting dressed and grabbing a shirt, he turned to the bed. He rolled his eyes, leaning over the bed towards her. "I know you well enough to know what all your little mumblings and mutterings mean. I know your looks and what's running around in your head. I know what you're saying even when you're_ not_ saying it. I know you, Jojo. Don't you dare think I don't know what that sound meant." He kissed her quickly, smirking as she narrowed her dark eyes at her. _"Don't you_ look at me in that tone of voice. _This_-" He punctuated the word with another kiss and a glance at his daughter. "-is not my fault."

"They're your kids." She replied, deadpan.

"And yours." She screwed up her mouth, shaking her head.

"Only the last one." She replied.

"_What? What do you mean by 'only the last one?' Mommy_?" The pair turned to see their oldest sitting up, fear in her eyes. Jo glanced at Zane.

"Nothing, baby, never mind. Just a little joke between Daddy and I, that's all." She replied, going back to the task at hand. Zane chuckled softly as he pulled his shirt on.

"I'd be careful around your mother today, girls. This little stunt with Lua put you both in her bad graces." He whispered, pressing kisses to the tops of his girl's heads before leaving the room.

"Watch it, sweetheart, or I'll bring up reassignment to Warehouse Thirteen or Area Fifty-One again at meeting!" He chuckled, making his way down the hall.

"Shove your sweetheart, babe! And those are nothing more than bluffs! The last thing Henry'd do would let Section Five turn into chaos! I'm the only one that can-"

"'Handle that section!' I_ know_! You can stop gloating about it! If there's one thing I can't stand besides small guns and overlycritical boyfriends it's big egos!" She could hear him rolling his eyes.

"_Bite me, Donovan_!" He called as he made his way downstairs.

"_Don't tempt me_!" She called back, returning to her work on her daughter's hair. The older girls shared glances. They loved listening to their parents argue and banter- the slightly sexual innuendo went over their heads- and so delighted in getting to see this side of Jo and Zane. It was when their parents were at their most relaxed, their calmest, without the latest threat from GD hanging over their heads, forcing them to work together with Henry, Grace and the others to save the town. Things were calm, they were a family.

An hour and a half later- after Jo had managed to untangle her daughter's hair and take her own shower- she followed the girls downstairs, to find Zane in the kitchen. A cup of Vincespresso sat waiting for her on the counter, and she glanced around.

"When did you have time to go for a run?" She asked. He turned to her.

"I didn't. Went down, picked up breakfast and came back." He replied, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "Why?" She shrugged.

"No reason." She replied, sipping her drink.

"You think I can't cook?" He asked.

"I know you can. That's one of the reasons why I married you." SHe said, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him.

"Oh eew. You just did that. Don't you ever stop?" The pair pulled away as their oldest rummaged through the carton, pulling out her maplebar and grabbing her coffee. Zane chuckled.

"Watch it, Dy, one of these days you'll be doing the exact same thing." Jo said. The child stuck her maple bar into her mouth and waved away Jo's comment, going into the dining room.

"Over my dead body, she will." Zane replied.

"I'm with Daddy. Who would wanna kiss_ that_?" Zane chuckled as his middle child grabbed her coffee and her muffin, removed the wrapper, then peeled away the bottom and ate it, leaving the top for last.

"_Brookie_." Jo growled softly, and the child rolled her eyes- a perfect imitation of her mother.

"Just saying, Mommy." She replied. Jo shook her head, turning back to the living room.

"Lua, breakfast! Lua!" After a moment, she went to the stairs. "Luca! Come eat!" The child hurried down the stairs, a familiar yellow ribbon in her hands.

"Mommy, will you tie this for me?" She handed Jo the ribbon, and turned around. After a moment, Jo did as told, tieing the material around the bottom of her daughter's French braid.

"There. Now come eat." She gave her daughter a gentle push towards the kitchen, following in time to see the girl grab her hot tea and bear claw. Then, she dashed into the dining room, joining her sisters and interrupting their conversation. Zane chuckled, wrapping his arms around Jo's waist and resting his chin on her shoulder.

"Do you regret this timeline now?" He asked. She turned and studied him, confused.

"Why would I regret coming to this timeline? My family is here. I can't _imagine_ being in any other timeline. And _certainly_ not one where the girls don't exist." She thought a moment. "Do_ you_ regret me coming here?" He shook his head.

"Never. I love you, and I love our girls, and our life, and it wouldn't be the same without you. I could never regret you." Then, he leaned down, pressing a firm kiss to her lips before grabbing the carton and the coffee and pulling her into the dining room.


	3. Chapter 3

**R****ifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: I use a scene from _ITD_ (_In Too Deep_) near the end of this chapter. And the explanation and divergent reality is from the Eureka tie-in book _Road Less Traveled_.**

"What do you mean she 'wants to go home'?" Carter asked. "She _is_ home!" Zane shook his head.

"That's what I thought. But she wants to go back to her _own_ timeline. She doesn't want to be here." The sheriff glanced at Jo, who sat on the cot in the cell, playing with the blanket. "Why not? Is this timeline_ so bad_?" Zane asked, turning to her. "Are you really _that miserable_ that you want to leave? Jo! _Answer me_!" He snapped, getting up and going to the cell. A moment passed, before she glanced up at him.

Tears glistened in her dark eyes. "I want my girls." She choked out, tears sliding down her cheeks. The statement was so simple, so soft, that Zane felt his heart clench. He watched her, saw how she pulled the blanket onto her lap and buried her face in it. Her soft sobs broke the silence, and a moment passed, before Allison went into the cell and sat beside her, wrapping her arm around Jo's waist.

"Come here. Shh... I'm so sorry, Jo. I can't imagine-" She started, holding the younger woman close.

"Fine." Everyone turned to Zane, who was pacing back in front of the cell. "Go. Go back to your time. Maybe... maybe Henry can rig something so that it'll work, and you can go back to_ your Zane_ and your _precious girls_. While my Jo is... God knows where!"

"Zane, calm down!" Allison warned, tightening her grip on Jo. She turned back to the young woman, talking softly to her.

"Could we?" Carter asked. Henry turned to him, confused.

"What?"

"Could we send Jo back? To her time?" He asked, glancing at the two women. After a moment, Grace Monroe joined Allison, taking a seat on Jo's other side. They watched the women, before Henry said,

"You know, Dr. Russell managed to finally crack extradimensional visualization." Carter turned to Henry, an I-Don't-Understand-the-Sciencey-Stuff look on his face. Henry sighed, rolling his eyes. "It's a way to filter energy from electromagnetic dimensional input. Any traces from our reality is removed, and then the energy left is organized into a pixilated grid-"*

"That would show us another reality." Carter finished.

"So... I could see my reality and... see Zane and my girls before I go home." Jo asked. The men turned; Jo stood in the doorway ro the cell, sniffling. Henry nodded.

"See, yes. But... go back... not so sure."

"But... we could at least see your divergent reality, and compare how it differs from ours." Henry replied. Jo nodded, biting her nail.

"So... I could see my girls... see Zane... at least... make sure they're all right... but not go back." She worked it out slowly, pacing back and forth. Zane watched her, noticing how she'd thinned, lost some of the weight she'd gained with the pregnancy she'd gone through shortly before coming to this time. The angles of her face were sharper, her curves were more defined, her stomach taut and smooth. She wore her hair down around her shoulders, glossy waves that tumbled around her small shoulders, just grazing the slopes of her breasts. The jeans she wore hugged her curves, just brushing the tops of her sneakers.

Henry glanced at Carter, unsure of what to say, or if he should interrupt her. He didn't have to worry though; she turned to him, her dark hair swirling around her like a skirt. "Henry, take me to GD. I want to talk to Dr. Russell. I want to see my girls. I want to see my husband." She choked, tears welling in her dark eyes. She looked up when Allison took her hand, squeezing gently for support. Henry looked at the others, before nodding.

Thirty minutes later, they stood in Dr. Russell's lab, listening as the older woman explained what exactly would happen. Jo glanced at Henry, who laid a hand on her back. They had long since let Jo's time traveling fade into the abyss; most of the town's residents considered such a thing happening as too ridiculous to even consider. The only other person- besides Zoe and Kevin- know, was Dr. Russell. For the simple fact that Jo had tracked her down not long after Christmas and demanded she help her get home. Since then, any new developement with Jo, her mental state, or her desire to see her family was brought to Dr. Russell, who kept a close eye on Jo and her adjustment to this alternate Eureka.

"The point being," Jo snapped, cutting the blonde off. "can I get back? Or... at least see them?" Dr. Russell glanced from Jo to Henry.

"See them yes. Let me just... get the machine going and you can take a look."

Moments passed, moments of intense silence, as Dr. Russell got the machine working. It whirled to life, and an image slowly appeared on the computer monitor. The image cleared, scanning to show Eureka- everything looked similar, at least that they could see. Eventually, the image moved to a familiar house on Corolis Loop-

Forty-Twenty.

"That... that's my place. That's my house." Jo said, stepping closer to the screen. The others gathered around her, silent. The house looked the same as the one in this reality, nothing out of the ordinary, nothing new...

"_Daddy!_ Daddy, it won't button." They all watched- wide-eyed except for Jo- as a child that looked identical to her came onto the screen in a buttercup yellow sweater. An older man abandoned whatever he'd been studying on his tablet and went to her, kneeling in front of her.

"It won't? Let me see." Carter's worry shot up at the sound of Jo's sharp intake of breath. He reached out, laying a hand on her shoulder.

"_Zane_." She stepped closer.

"That... that's... _me_?" She nodded, not looking back at him. Allison took the younger man's hand, squeezing gently.

"There. All better." The child smiled at him- it was Jo's smile all the way.

"Thank you, Daddy." She whispered, wrapping her arms around him in a hug. He pressed a kiss to her hair, before standing and scooping her into his arms.

"Come on girls, we need to get going!"

"Who's the kid?" Fargo asked, turning to the others. They shrugged, unsure.

"Brooke. My little Brookelyn." Jo whispered. No one else said anything, they only watched as footsteps hurried downstairs.

"Sorry, Daddy! I couldn't find my homework."

"No you didn't. You were in the bathroom fixing your hair so you could impress Evan in Calculas." The younger girl said.

"I was not! And watch it, or you'll be eating hardwood!" The older girl replied, shoving her sister.

"Hey, that's enough girls. Out the door, now." Zane said, nodding towards the front door. The two girls raced towards it. "Hey! No running! Dylan, what have we told you about setting an example for your sisters? You know Brooke follows you." The oldest turned back, and Jo choked on her breath.

"'A bad example is no better than a bad plan of attack. You don't win the battle by losing the war.'" The child quoted. Zane nodded.

"Exactly."

"Now can we go?" Zane nodded. The two girls rushed from the house, and after a moment, Zane set the third child down, and she rushed after her sisters. He watched them go, shaking his head.

Jo swallowed. "He's okay. At... at least he's doing okay without-" But the next image took the words from her mouth.

"I heard Dy repeating the battle back to you."

Carter's eyes widened in shock as a very familiar raven-head came down the stairs. Dressed in a pair of black slacks, a black button-down blouse, and black heels, her hair pulled back in a familiar, slicked back ponytail, she pulled on her black blazer, buttoning it as she reached the landing. Holster at her back, PDA in her pocket, she looked every bit the woman he remembered- the tough-as-nails, hardass Head of Security at Global Dynamics.

"Is _that_-" Allison choked out. Carter nodded.

"This doesn't seem real." Zane muttered, glancing back at Henry, Grace, Fargo and Dr. Russell. Neither replied, they were too shocked by the woman on the screen.

"We'll be lucky they don't burn the town down by the time they graduate." She said, as he pulled her to him. Her hands moved up his chest. "They're your daughters, after all." He chuckled softly, rolling his eyes.

"Yes, but they share half of your DNA, darling." He whispered, one hand trailing the length of her spine to gently caress her backside. She chuckled, wrapping her arms around his neck. He pressed a kiss to her ear, before moving lower.

"Zane... don't..." She gasped, her eyes rolling back as he nipped gently at her neck. She tangled a hand in his hair, tugging firmly as he bit down on the soft flesh of her throat. Moments passed, before she released her breath, and pulled away, resting her forehead against his. "Do you really have to mark me?" She asked, running her hands over his shoulders and down his chest.

"How else will every other man at Global know that you belong to me?" He asked, a grin on his face. She rolled her eyes.

"The wedding ring isn't enough?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. He shook his head. "So you have to mark me?" He shrugged, a smirk that Jo knew all too well on his face. She watched as the other... well... as she did the same to him. It made her sick, and Zane and Carter noticed, grabbing her arms to steady her as they watched the screen.

He captured her lips in his, pulling until her body was flush against his, her arms tight around his neck. They stood in the living room, sharing kiss after kiss, hands brushing over spines and tangling in hair, the soft sound of breaking kisses the only noise for minutes-

"Mommy! Daddy! We're gonna be-_ Eew! God, get a room_!" The pair broke apart, glancing towards the door- Dylan rushed back to the car, a disgusted look on her face. Zane rolled his eyes.

"Those girls have_ the worst_ timing." She chuckled.

"They've always had bad timing; _every single one_ of them, from the moment they were born. _Not_ a one of them has_ ever _had good timing. Those girls were born for bad timing, _during_ bad timing." He scoffed gently.

"No worse than Carter. I swear, that man's half idiot." She swatted him, laughing.

"It does seem that way, doesn't it?" He nodded. She stared into his blue gaze for several minutes, lost in them. Then, she pulled away, going to the counter and grabbing her keys. "Was the catsuit really necessary last night? Weren't the handcuffs enough?" She asked, leisurely walking back to him. He thought a moment, hands in his pockets.

"Yeah... I'd say that it wasn't... except that your butt just looks so good in it." He said, rocking back on his heels. She snorted softly, eying him as she got closer. Carter, meanwhile, pulled his gaze from the screen and gently squeezed Jo's arm; he could feel her tense, could sense the jealousy building within her.

Back on the screen, she stopped in front of him, slowly moving her gaze up. "I'm sure your butt looks pretty good too." He grinned, before capturing her lips in his.

Carter wrapped an arm around Jo, holding her to him. "Shh. Calm down, Jo. Calm, Josefina. It's okay." She shook her head.

"_She has no right to say that_. _He's mine, not hers_." She choked out through gritted teeth. "_He's mine! He belongs to me_!" Carter glanced back at Zane, before turning and forcfully walking her out of the lab into the hall. She struggled, turning back. The last image she had of her husband, was him locking lips with a woman who looked like her, before Carter managed to yank her into the hall.

Once they were gone, Zane turned his attention back to the image.

The pair broke apart, and she glanced down at the Section Five pin on his lapel. A moment passed as she reached up and gently adjusted it, a contented smile on her face. The sound of the car horn blaring jarred them both, and she groaned. "I told you, Zane Matthew, bad timing." Then, she started for the door; he thought a moment, before chasing after her.

"And I told you, Josefina Charlotte, no worse than Carter." She laughed, dashing onto the porch, Zane behind her.

"Don't let him hear you say that! Remember how offended he got the last time you questioned his intelligence?"

"What intelligence?" She started to reply, just as the door swung closed behind them.

As the image faded, they all jumped, turning towards the door as Jo's heartwrenching scream split the air.


	4. Chapter 4

**R****ifiuto: Non Miriena^**

**A/N: I've decided to limit this to two timelines- the original timeline (Eureka seasons 1-3), and my _RFFTL_ timeline. The third timeline (Seasons 4-5) will probably be a story of itself, though tied in with these two. **

The sound of her heels clicking on the floor sent the few scientists that were about on the rotunda running for cover. She rolled her eyes, glancing back at Zane. He stood chatting with Allison and Grace, completely unaware that she'd gone on without him. Eventually though, she stopped, turning back. A sigh of impatience escaped her vocal chords, and she crossed her arms, tapping her foot. "Let's go! We have a meeting to get to!" She snapped. All GD scientists and personnel dashed for cover to avoid the impending eruption-

But none came.

Instead, Zane, Allison and Grace, still deep in conversation, followed her, making their way acrossed the rotunda. When he got close enough, Jo slipped her hand into Zane's, tangling their fingers together. Allison glanced down, catching sight of Jo and Zane holding hands as they made their way to Henry's office. The four slipped into the elevator to head down to Level Eighteen for the meeting, and Allison and Grace shared knowing glances as Jo curled into Zane's side. He wrapped an arm around her waist, tucking her head beneath his chin. When they finally reached the conference room, Fargo, Henry, and the other heads of the various labs and sections were situated around the table.

Silent, the four slipped into avaliable seats, Zane and Jo never letting go of the other's hand. "Well, now that everyone's here-" Henry began, looking around the table at the various heads and directors he'd promoted; his gaze flicked first to Grace, who was Head of Psychological Science and Wellness, Allison, the Head of Medical Science, Fargo, Director of Section Eight... and then his gaze landed on Jo and Zane, sitting together at the table, heads bent low in soft conversation. He watched them for several moments, noticing how his Head of Security and his Section Five Director appeared lost in conversation, despite the fact that both were paying the utmost attention. She nodded, her ponytail sifting off her shoulder, and it was then that Henry caught sight of the mottled bruise on her neck. He chuckled. No matter how professional they were at work, Jo and Zane were still Jo and Zane. Their soft conversation stopped when they caught him watching them, and they settled down; Jo was blushing, Zane was grinning- typical reactions. Henry gave them both a soft smile, preferring to let them be, that call them out on their whispering. Eventually, Zane folded his hands on the table, leaning forward. Jo sat back, watching Henry with that dark-eyed gaze of hers. "I've called you all here, because Dr. Russell has picked up some interference-" He stopped, thinking. "Perhaps I'd better let her explain." He turned. "Ava, please."

Once Henry had taken a seat, Dr. Russell turned to the Department Heads. It was slightly nerve wracking, being watched by the people who basically _ran_ Global Dynamics from the inside. She looked around, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, before her green eyes landed on the Head of Security. She relaxed when she caught Jo's gaze, and the younger woman smiled. Jo made a point of stopping by several times a day to see her; since her son had been killed in a car crash in Los Angeles, Ava had needed someone to listen, and Jo had been there, listening and giving her soft opinion. The Security Head's three daughter's looked to her as an aunt, and she delighted in spoiling them, despite their parents' protests. But on the one hand, Ava had a feeling that Jo didn't mind as much as she protested; every so often, Ava could see the sadness flash across her eyes- Jo, too, had lost someone she loved. A loss she, like Ava, would most likely never recover from.

"Thank you, Director." She cleared her throat, turning her attention briefly to her tablet. "I was... doing some tests on my extradimensional visualization device, and I noticed..." It took her couple seconds, but eventually, she pulled up an image. The image floated- much like the holograms several of the heads used- over the table. "This." Some people leaned forward, others appeared bored. Jo sat up, reaching out and grasping Zane's hand. He squeezed, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb.

"What is it?" Someone asked. Suddenly, everyone was leaning closer to get a better look. The image they were staring at was obviously of another Eureka- a different one, though very much the same as theirs. They all watched the rotunda pass, saw the hallways, and labs, and suddenly, it stopped. And there, stood some very familiar people-

Henry, Allison, Grace, Fargo, Dr. Russell, Sheriff Carter, Zane and..._ Jo._

They appeared to be watching something that none of them could believe, and several minutes passed, before the sheriff took Jo out of the room. A scream that only very few had ever heard soon wrenched through the air, followed by several shared glances and soft conversation. The image faded, and Ava turned back to the directors. "It's an alternate reality. And... from the looks of it, they were watching another reality- another Eureka." She removed the image and placed another one up. "Now, whether this was our reality they were watching or another one, I have no clue." She pulled up another image- this one from the monitor that the others in the alternate Eureka had been watching.

"Is that... _us_?" Jo choked out, at the image of her in Zane's arms. She gripped his hand firmer, digging her nails into the flesh of his palm. Zane let her squeeze, memories of long ago nights in the infirmary, with Jo well into heavy labor, digging her nails into the soft flesh of his hand and wrist, accompanied by just such a scream that had come from out in the hallway of that other reality, began to surface, and he squeezed back, tangling their fingers. She glanced at him, worry in her dark eyes, and after a moment, he pulled her close, pressing his lips to her ear as he whispered softly to her. Henry and the others watched as Zane whispered something to Jo; she nodded, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. He pressed a kiss to her cheek before wiping the tears away. "Sorry Ava, please. Go on." Jo said, once they'd pulled away. Ava shook her head.

"There's nothing to go on about. This is what I wanted to show you all. This is why Dr. Deacon called this meeting." Everyone turned to Henry.

"I want more infomation on this... alternate reality, as much as we can possibly find. All the labs, start working on the calculations and theories to figure out how and when this alternate reality started to study ours-"

"But... why have you called me here? Henry, I..." Jo glanced around at the others. "I'm Head of Security. I'm not a scientist." Henry put his hands in his pockets, watching Jo and Zane.

"You are just as smart as any one else here in this meeting, Jo, as anyone at Global Dynamics, hell as anyone in Eureka. You have good insight and are able to pick up details and problems faster than anyone else with more accuracy. You're brilliant, Jo. Maybe even more so than _most_ who work here at Global. Yes, you're the wife of the Director of Section Five, but that doesn't mean that you're just a figurehead- you pull more than your share of the weight here. You belong in this meeting as much as anyone else. And... I would say that_ you_ have the most dangerous job of all at this facility. You deserve to be here more than even me." She blushed, ducking her head, and turned when Zane gently brushed her tears away. When she looked up next, Henry stood in front of her.

"I want you to increase security, Jo. If we cover all our bases now, then if anything happens and the two realities collide, we can contain it and not cause a town-wide panic. We can nip this thing in the bud before it gets too out of hand, if at all. Okay?" She nodded, glancing at Zane as Henry continued to give instructions. When the meeting finally ended, Jo and Zane left, heading towards her office, hands still tangled together.

"Henry meant what he said." Zane said, once they'd made it to her office door. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close. He pressed a kiss to her lips, nudging his nose against hers. "You belong here, Jojo. You always have, you always will."


	5. Chapter 5

**R****ifiuto: Non Miriena**

Jo shook her head, her pacing becoming frantic. "I... I don't..._ I don't understand, Carter! It... it doesn't make sense... how... how could he just._.. _How could he betray me like that_?" She looked up at him, tears sliding down her cheeks. "He's _my husband_, we_ vowed_ we wouldn't love anyone else. We_ exchanged rings_, we..." She burst into tears, stopping her pacing and burying her face in her hands. _"How could he do that? Zane belongs to me!"_

Carter sighed. "Jo-" She turned on him, waiting for him to continue. He opened his mouth, but one look at her tear-stained cheeks, and he stopped. Instead, her shrugged. "I don't know." She continued to pace; Carter just watched, tuning out the conversation to watch his best friend. She was a wreck; clearly the sight of a woman who looked exactly like her, living with her husband was enough to do more than upset her. Eventually, Zane poked his head out the door.

"Um... Dr. Russell wants you both back in her. She thinks she's figured something out." Gently, Carter laid a hand on her back, guiding her back into the lab.

"So, what... exactly have you found, Dr. Russell?" Carter asked once they were all back in the lab. The scientist had managed to somehow download the small snippet of alternate reality they'd been watching, and had begun to run it through some sort of strange scanner device. She looked up from the data she'd collected, and rewound the downloaded reality before pressing play.

"This scans the particles that the alternate reality creates. It can tell us where and when that reality is taking place, and who is in that reality."

"So... who's in that reality? I... I know Zane and my girls are, but... I don't recognize the youngest child or the woman. That little girl is_ not_ mine, I know she's not." Jo choked out. Carter turned to Jo.

"Um, Jo-" But the sight of both Dr. Russell and Allison shaking their heads caused him to close his mouth. The others all glanced at each other, unsure of what to say. After a moment, Dr. Russell went to Jo, taking her over to a desk and sitting her down before taking a seat beside her. She bit her lip, struggling to figure out the best way to break the news to her. Several minutes passed in silence, before she reached out, taking Jo's hands.

"Jo, that is Zane, in that reality-" Jo chuckled softly.

"I know that's Zane, Ava. I recognize my own husband, be it any timeline. That's the love of my life." The younger woman stopped, a faraway look on her face, a small smile tugging at her soft lips.

"Right. Um... the... the oldest girl, that..." Ava got up, grabbing her tablet and scrolling through it. "That's... Dylan... right? Your oldest?" Jo nodded, tongue darting out to lick her lips.

"Yeah, that's... tha's my little Dylan Tessa." Ava nodded.

"From... from what I can gather she's... fourteen-"

_"Fourteen?"_ Jo stood, turning to her friend. "No. No, that... that can't be right. Ava, your math must be off. My little Dy, she... she'd just turned four... nearly two weeks before Brooke was born. There's no way she's fourteen."

"Jo, come sit. Please. I'm not done." The young mother shook her head, backing away, when Allison laid a hand on her arm. After several minutes, Jo returned to the chair, forcing herself to listen. "The... younger girl, the middle one... it says that she's... that that's Brookelyn." Jo bit her lip to keep from crying out. She shook her head.

"No. Brookie was barely a _week old_ when I ended up here. She'd just been born. There's no way-"

"She's eleven, according to what I've been able to gather from the alternate time." Ava cut in. Jo shook her head.

"No. Not my baby. Not my Brooke." Carter laid a hand on her shoulder to calm her.

"And the youngest child is seven. Her name's Luca." Jo's head snapped up.

"Luca? My... my brother's name is Luca. Wh... why would they name her... unless... unless something happened..." She quickly covered her mouth, struggling to keep from sobbing. Ava reached out, patting's Jo's knee before continuing on.

"The particles from the reality are from two thousand twenty-six. So it's-"

"Sixteen years in the future." Zane cut in, from across the room. He stood examining the image of them on the monitor. He couldn't believe that was him- he looked older, almost calm and casual, in a nice pants suit with a sky blue button down. The jacket was the familiar basic black _most_ of the higher ups in GD wore, and he could see a small pin on the lapel, but couldn't make it out.

"So, if that's Zane, and the girls are Zane's," Carter said, slowly putting the pieces together. "Who is she?" He spoke slowly, softly. He had a good idea of who she was, but didn't want to frighten her. Ava took a deep breath and pulled the information up on the monitor. Several sets of eyes turned. Allison's breath caught, and Zane forced himself to do a double take.

Josefina Charlotte Donovan

Head of Global Dynamics Security

Eureka, Oregon

"It's Jo." Ava said; she grabbed her companion's hand, hearing her choke on a sob before completely breaking down.


	6. Chapter 6

**R****ifiuto: Non Miriena^**

She looked up at the doors sliding open. "I thought you could use this." He said, moving around his desk and setting it next to her laptop. She sat back in her chair, studying him. "I know I've needed it since meeting this morning."

"Thanks, babe." He nodded, looking around. She studied him, even as he studied her office. It didn't seem possible to that nearly twelve years had passed since she'd come to this alternate time- she'd been trying to get home to her timeline, and wound up finding her home here, instead. Nearly twelve years since Brooke had been born, nearly eight since Luca had graced their lives- things had changed, babies had been born, family members had died, friends had moved away, and new residents had moved to- their perfect little world hadn't changed much, give or take the occasional wormhole popping up.

But Eureka was_ still_ Eureka- Zane was still considered- by most Eurekians- the residental troublemaker, though he'd mellowed out drastically since they'd gotten married and the girls had been born; Carter and Allison were still moving their "relationship" at below snail's pace; she was still Head of Security, the town still tried to implode for one accident or another. But even Eureka couldn't keep from changing.

Zoe, now Dr. Carter, had gotten engaged to Luca, and the two were planning for a summer wedding- with an added,_ special_ member of the wedding party that Zoe begged Jo to keep quiet about, which she promised she would. Kevin was teaching at CalTech, and came home for every holiday, anniversary, birthday and Founders' Day- he delighted in seeing the girls, and had even shared the news that he was engaged. She and Zane had celebrated their fifteenth wedding anniversary the previous fall, Fargo and Claudia finally made their relationship official- the list of changes to Eureka went on and on.

But now she sat studying her husband- taking in the sky blue button down and the black pants suit he wore. The Section Five pin was nestled on his lapel, and if he turned his head _just right_, she could see the bruise on his neck. She chuckled internally- if he was going to mark her, then she was going to mark him. No other man was allowed to touch her, then no other _woman_ was allowed to touch him. The only woman he'd lay with was her, she made sure of it. The wedding ring on his finger glinted in the light of her office. It was amazing, how... different he'd become, since they'd first met. A troublemaker, with a habit for hitting on any woman who glanced his way- and the one woman that didn't. A bad boy, a flirt... and now a family man.

Neutered and liking it- as her Rowley, her second-in-command would say.

And the most surprising thing, was that he liked it. He told her more than once, that he liked waking up to her in his arms, he liked going to bed and wrapping his body around her, that he adored helping the girls with their homework, or- when they were babies- helping them learn how to walk, talk, teaching them to read and write. Zane had, surprisingly, settled into married life happily. Not that they didn't have their ups and downs, their problems, like every couple did, but they worked through them. The girls were too important, their marriage, their life together, was too important to throw it all away.

He turned back to her; he'd felt her dark eyes roving over him, and had to admit, that he enjoyed being her object of study. Now though, he turned his blue gaze to his wife- she sat back in her chair, feet up on her desk, in perhaps the most leisurely position he'd ever seen her in at work. He chuckled softly; feet up on the desk, that was normally his thing. But the sight of those black heels, that led to those black boots, that wrapped around those slender calves, that resided under those black pants, sent his pulse racing. He put his hands in his pockets, looking around. "Well, I guess I'd... better get back to work." She nodded, getting up and going to him, peeling off her black jacket and folding it before tossing it on the back of her chair.

"Guess so." She leaned back against her desk, arms crossed. _"So."_ He stepped closer.

"So." They stood in silence for several minutes, before Jo said,

"I guess this is... goodbye for now." He raised an eyebrow.

"'Goodbye?' Seriously Jojo, it's not like we're gonna be going halfway around the world at seperate times. I'll meet you back here after work, and we'll both be home for dinner." She nodded.

"I know, I just like... saying goodbye." He chuckled, stepping closer to her. "Well, goodbye then-" He kissed her quickly, his hands going to her waist.

"Goodbye, Dr. Donovan." Their lips caught, and she moved back, one arm going around his neck as she pulled him back onto her desk with him. Somehow, she'd managed to get his jacket and shirt off before they even hit the edge. He reached up, working the small buttons of her blouse undone, exposing the black of her bra and the soft mounds of her breasts beneath-

"Sorry I'm late, Auntie Jo, I-" They pulled away, turning to see Jenna Stark in the doorway, hair wild around her shoulders, eyes wide in shock. Her mouth dropped as she realized what she'd walked in on. "Oh, you're... busy... Um... I... I'll come back later, then. I'll leave you to... Hi Uncle Zane." She choked out, embarrassed that she'd walked in on such a private moment between the two people that mattered more to her than her parents. Zane nodded to her, getting off the desk. Eventually, Jo joined him, slowly buttoning her blouse and tucking it back into her slacks. She cleared her throat and tightened her ponytail, a light flush caressing her cheeks.

"No, you're fine, Jea. Um... Zane was just leaving." Jo said, casting a pointed glance her husband's way as he pulled his shirt on. He held up his hands. He quickly buttoned the garment, tucked it, and grabbed his jacket off the ground. He turned back to his wife as he pulled the jacket on.

"I'll see you for dinner?" She smirked, crossing her arms.

_"Always_." He pressed a kiss to her cheek, knowing that if he kissed her lips again, he'd take her then and there, not matter if Jenna was watching or not, before leaving. Jenna watched him go, eyes wide. Once the doors slid closed behind him, she turned.

"_Now_ I get why all the other scientists envy you, Auntie Jo." Jenna muttered. "Uncle Zane's a hunk!" Jo just shrugged, a small smile on her lips.

_He sure is, Jea. He sure is._


	7. Chapter 7

**R****ifiuto: Non Miriena **

**A/N: Yes, that scene is reminicent of the scene in _Clash of the Titans_. **

"So how do we deal with this? What do we do? How do we tell her that that's her, and that her-" He stopped, glancing at Zane, who stood next to Allison, looking uncomfortable about the whole situation. " That her Zane has obviously moved on? With another her, no less?" Carter asked. Dr. Russell had pulled everyone- except Fargo, who stayed by Jo's side, rubbing her back and whispering softly to her- into a far corner of her lab to talk. Russell shook her head.

"We don't. Not now, anyway. We let it sink in, before we tell her."

"Are you sure that's wise, Ava? Keeping the truth from her, when she's clearly upset." Allison broke in. Ava glanced back at Jo, biting her lip. She thought a moment.

"Fine. I will tell her-"

"No, I'll tell her. She trusts me." Carter cut in. He glanced around, before returning to Jo and Fargo. The young woman was on her feet instantly.

"Carter-" She sniffled. "I want to go home. I want to go... home. To my time. I want to go back to _my_ Zane and _my_ girls and _my_ life." The sheriff shook his head, hands in his pockets.

"I'm sorry, Jo, but... that's not... possible." She stared at him, shocked.

"You're saying no? You can't tell me no! I want to go home and I want to go home now!" She cried, stamping her foot. Carter watched, her, saw how like a child she was acting, and he couldn't blame her. Discovering that her daughters were almost grown- when they'd only been babies when she left; that her husband had moved on, and moved on with another_ her_, and then had a child with that other version of her- he didn't blame her for acting like a child. He would too, were he in her shoes.

"Jo-" She immediately turned on Ava, seeing some sense being able to get home. The blonde shook her head. "I'm sorry Jo, it's not possible right now."

"No. You..." She seemed to break momentarily; they all watched the range of emotions flash across her face, and then she looked up, calm. "You were supposed to help me. You were supposed to help me get home!"

"I know, and I'm so sorry-" Jo pulled away when Ava reached out, glaring at the woman, hurt. Jo pulled back.

"No. That's my husband! Those are my children! And... and he's just moved on with another me... had a child with her... he's my husband! Mine! He's belonged to me from the moment Allison dragged him into the sheriff's office, and I've belonged to him. And he'll see that. Once I go back, he'll see. I'll get back, with or without your help!" She turned, storming from the room. Zane was the first one after her, Carter and Henry close behind.

"Jo! Jo, stop!" She did as told, tears in her eyes. "Look, I know you're hurt, and I know you feel like you've lost the only person you truly love-"

"_Do you_, Zane? Do you_ really_ know what I'm feeling?" She snapped, turning on him. He nodded, taking a step closer.

"Yes. Because I lost my Jo. She... disappeared after I proposed to her and... hasn't come back since. Sometimes... I think her being taken from me is my punishment for allowing myself to have some sort of happiness in my life. That I... deserved to have her taken from me." He shrugged, hands in his pockets. "I've never forgiven myself for her disappearing."

"Yeah, well, obviously my Zane doesn't feel the same, since he replaced me-" She started, turning, only to feel a strong hand on her wrist. She looked up, to see Zane watching her with tears in his eyes.

"We'll figure this out, Jo. I promise." She nodded, letting him pull her into his arms. When he looked up thirty minutes later, Ava was making her way towards them, a tablet in hand.

"I think I've figured something out." She led them back into her lab, and over to a table. She turned to the others. "This is the bridge device. It-"

But Henry stopped her, going into an explanation that made Carter's eyebows shoot for the moon. "- It will only work on or around Founders' Day." The others shared glances, not at all surprised.

"Well, isn't... tomorrow... Founders' Day?" Jo asked, the intent clear on her face. Henry sighed, nodding. She gave him a big smile, rushing to throw her arms around him. "Oh thank you, Henry! Thank you so much! I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay you!" She pressed a kiss to his cheek, turning back to the device, a light in her eyes like they'd never seen.

"Now, hold on, Jo."

"Won't be necessary, Henry. Because as soon as I go back, that... bitch will be gone and I'll be home." He shook his head.

"No that simple Jo. If we do this, we'll need to go with you. To make sure you got there safe, and that we haven't screwed up the timeline." She rolled her eyes.

"Fine." Then, she turned to Ava. "So, where do we start?"


	8. Chapter 8

**R****ifiuto: Non Miriena^**

"Sorry about... walking in on you, Auntie Jo. If I'd known you were busy-" Jo waved it away.

"No big deal. So, you ready?" Jenna nodded, before realizing something.

"But... it's Founders' Day. Don't you and... every other GD employee have the day off?" Jo rolled her eyes.

"Yes, but Henry called an emergency meeting for the Heads of all the labs and sections. Once we've fixed the problem we were given, we'll close GD for the day and head down to Main for the festivites. Now, about your shadowing-" They managed to schedule Jenna's project for the next afternoon, and then met Zane in the rotunda. Once downtown, Jenna peeled off to join her friends, and Jo and Zane headed into Cafe Diem. Though it was Founder's Day- a local holiday- the schools had planned a trip to the museum before Henry- who was also the mayor- gave his speech. Once that was over, the kids could go find their parents. Hence the reason the Donovans planned to wait in the cool of Cafe Diem instead of the heat of outside. That and- they'd heard Henry's speech numerous times.

They ordered their usual, sitting at the counter, talking softly as they faced each other. Jo had changed into a pair of dark jeans for the festivities- that Zane was currently running his hands up and down. He loved her pants suits, but when she wore jeans, with a blouse and her black blazer jacket, she was absolutely gorgeous, and he didn't care who knew. Normally, Jo would scold him for public displays of affection, but since their marriage and the girls had been born, she'd been a lot more relaxed. Part of it, he knew, was from the fact that she wasn't from here.

The one major difference between that Jo and, as he so lovingly called this one- _his_ Jo- was that his Jo was loving, affectionate, even, in public. She had no qualms about saying those three little words in front of other people, and even accepted- and gave- as good as she got. When it came to being caught kissing in public, the blush she'd worn had been evident that she'd taken part. Now, he watched her, only half listening as she talked, continuing his rubbing of her thighs. She scooted closer, their knees brushing. "I talked with Rowely- we'll have increased security around GD as early as seven tomorrow morning. If anything happens, my team will be ready. I only choose the best." She whispered, running a hand up his chest before resting her hand on his on the counter. He chuckled softly.

"Then how in the world did you get stuck with me?" He asked, grinning. She narrowed her eyes, shoving him gently.

"Jackass. I love you, you know that." He chuckled.

"I love you." They sat at the counter, sharing kiss after kiss, becoming lost in each other until her cell rang. Quickly, Jo snatched it up witha brisk,

"Donovan." She stopped, a blush on her cheeks. "Sorry, Dy... what?... oh, well... sure... yes, you and your sisters can... just stay in... and thank... um... Daddy and I will be home soon... okay... love you too, baby." Zane sipped his coffee as his wife ended her call and set her phone on the counter. "That was Dylan. The girls ran into Jenna on their way over her, and she said she'd take them home. They promised to stay in until we get home." Zane nodded.

"Sounds fine to me." He sipped his coffee, before asking, "So, should we pick up dinner." She thought a moment.

"How 'bout we go out to eat tonight?" She asked, squeezing his hand. He chuckled.

"Sounds like a plan." They met in the middle again, becoming lost in their kisses, that they didn't hear Carter enter, but they did hear Vincent,

"Oh, _don't_ they look happy?" The pair broke apart, turning to see Carter standing several feet away. A moment passed, before the pair got up and went to him, lacing hands.

"Hey Carter." He smiled at the pair, glancing down at their hands. "Everything all right?" Zane asked. A moment passed, before he tore his eyes away from the ring on Jo's hand.

"Yeah, everything's fine. Why?"

"You just seem... off. Are you sure you're okay?" Jo asked. The older man nodded.

"Um... are the girls with you?" He asked, looking for them. Jo shook her head.

"No, Jea took them home. Why?" He shrugged.

"Just curious." The pair shared a confused glance, before Zane said,

"Well, we were gonna go congratulate Henry on his speech and then head home. We'll see ya, Carter." And with that, the pair brushed past the sheriff, but not before casting confused glances his way. He watched them go, eyes narrowed.

"So_ you're_ the Zane who took our Jo away."


	9. Chapter 9

**R****ifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: Every other chapter, I'm going to use a ^, to indicate a_ RFFTL_ chapter, from the point of view of that timeline's characters. **

She looked around, finally getting her bearings. They'd done it. She hadn't been listening as Henry explained how the Bridge Device worked, but he handed her a PDA and turned the device on. The next thing she knew, she was standing in the park with Carter and Zane, in Eureka. Now, she stood in the middle of Main, surrounded by other Eurekians, on Founders' Day. The first big clue that they weren't in their timeline, was the statue of Archemides.

Granite.

In their timeline, the statue was bronze.

"The bath guy!" Jo and Zane turned to him confused. He stammered and pointed to the statue.

"Archemides?" They replied in unison. He nodded.

"He's... bronze? Copper? in our time."

"Bronze." Jo replied. She turned back to him. "And he's granite here! So if that's different, then-" Sudden realization dawned on her, and she took off running, pushing through the crowd, Zane following, promising to keep an eye on her. Carter nodded, making his way into Cafe Diem. He looked around at the decorations and costumes, shaking his head, Henry's words running through his head.

_In that time, it's been seventy-six years since Eureka was founded. They're bound to go all out. They're celebrating the founding of our town. Just act casual, don't raise any eyebrows. If someone asks, just tell them you've indulged in one too many spiked Cold War Cappucinnos._

Once inside, he caught sight of who they'd come here for- or, at least, who he thought they'd come here for. But just as he moved to intervene, Vincent caught up to him. "Oh,_ don't_ they look happy?" And when the pair turned around, he knew he'd found them. Of course they'd both given him strange looks as they'd left, but it was all part of the act. Once they were gone, he'd pulled out his cell and rushed to a quiet corner of the cafe, to dial Jo.

She didn't respond. Instead, she moved up the steps and into the house. Zane stayed on the sidewalk, under strict orders not to move.

As the door shut softly behind her, she took in everything she could. The living room and kitchen looked the same. The photographs, the furniture, all the same.

It was a candid portrait, taken at one of the bunker's Christmas parties. Zane and... she... sat on the sofa, surrounded by wrapping paper; the oldest girl was behind the sofa, holding a sprig of mistletoe over their heads; the middle child had her arms around her neck, and the youngest was in Zane's arms, his own arms wrapped tight around her. They looked happy. The perfect family.

She reached out to brush her fingers over the painting-

"Mommy?" She turned, startled to see a young girl on the stairs, watching her. Slowly, she moved towards the staircase as the child moved down, watching her with a cautious blue gaze. She stopped feet from the bottom of the stairs, as the child joined her.

"H... hi, baby." Slowly, she knelt down, until she was at the girl's level. "Whatcha doin'?" She whispered, holding out her hand. The child didn't take it. She eyed her suspiciously.

"Why are you home so early? When did you change clothes? Where's Daddy?" Jo glanced down at the worn pink sweater she wore over her jeans. She struggled to think of something to say.

"Um... d... Daddy... he... he's..." But just as she started to form a coherent thought, the door opened again.

"All I'm saying, is that Carter was acting a little strange, like he was surprised we were together."

"And I'm saying that maybe he indulged in one too many spiked cappuccinos."

"Even so, he's usually not that... off..." The conversation ended when Jo and Zane walked through the door. They stopped in the doorway, mouths open in shock, at the sight of- well, Jo herself- with their youngest. It took a moment before Jo finally found her voice, and once she did, she focused on her child. _"Get the hell away from my daughter!"_ That seemed to snap the child awake, and she rushed towards her parents, throwing herself into Jo's arms.

_"Mommy!"_ Jo knelt down, checking her daughter quickly, before scooping her into her arms. Slowly, the other woman turned, and Jo found herself looking into a mirror. Her doppelganger swallowed, straightening her back. Her double wore a familiar worn pink sweater over a pair of worn jeans. Her hair was down around her shoulders in loose waves. She looked nearly fifteen years younger than Jo herself, but the pain in her eyes was familiar.

Loss. Betrayal.

Pain Jo herself knew.

"Who are you?" She choked out, taking a step towards her, Luca clinging to her neck. "What the hell are you doing in my home?" She sighed, watching, noticing how the girl clung to her neck, how Zane laid a hand on her back. The simple gesture got her vocal chords working again.

"Jo. Jo Donovan. This is... forty-twenty Corolis Loop, and I live here. With my daughters. And my husband." She turned her dark gaze Zane, drinking him in. But he stepped closer to her clone. She took a deep breath. "Hi babe. I made it home." She saw the surprise, the fear in his eyes, before he moved towards her clone and whispered something in her ear. Moments passed, before her clone moved around her and guided the little girl upstairs. "Where are you going with my daughter?"

Slowly, very slowly, her double turned. "She's not your daughter. She's mine. Zane, I'm gonna call Henry and Ava. We have a situation." He nodded, pulling out his phone to call Carter. Once her double came back downstairs, she made her way to the front door, casting Zane a worried glance before going out onto the porch. She didn't notice Zane slip into the house, even as he slipped out to join her. Twenty minutes later, Carter showed up, and all Jo did was gesture inside.

Carter glanced back, watching the couple on the porch, recognizing them from the cafe earlier.


	10. Chapter 10

**R****ifiuto: Non Miriena^**

"Hey, you okay?" He reached out, laying a hand on her back. She jumped, before bursting into tears.

"How can that be me?" She choked out, looking up at him. He watched her, his blue gaze filled to the brim with worry. "How, Zane? It doesn't make sense. I... I told the girls to stay upstairs until we straighten everything out, but- did you see the look on Lua's face? She was scared to death. And I don't blame her. She thought that... that I'd come home early and left you at the festivites... God if this doesn't scar her for life, we'll be lucky."

He didn't reply, just wrapped his arms around her, melding his body to hers.

"Shh. We'll be okay. I promise, we'll get this straightened out. Lua will be fine. Dy and Brooke will be fine. I promise." She glanced back at him, tears in her dark eyes.

"How can you be so sure? How do you know this won't tear us apart?" He reached up, brushing the tears away. He rested his forehead against hers, taking a deep breath. She reached up, gently crawling her fingers up his cheek, the light stubble brushing against her fingertips. He let out a breath, she nudged her nose against his, breathing in the mint of his breath. She began to tangle her fingers into his hair, as his arms went around her waist, holding her small, lithe body against his. He pressed his lips gently against hers, and when she pulled away, he saw absolute fear in her eyes. And then he tugged her chin back, crashing his lips to hers. He kissed her- kiss after soft kiss. That told her how much she meant to him, that they'd get through this together, that they were a pair, that they'd survived so much, and that they'd survive this- together.

Zane's eyes snapped open, and at the sight of Carter and Henry making their way towards them, widened as he pulled away. "Carter? What are you- you just got here?" Jo turned, her dark eyes open in shock.

"When?" Henry asked, ignoring Jo. A moment passed before she shrugged.

"A... little over... thirty minutes ago." The two men glanced at each other, before rushing up the steps and nto the house, Jo and Zane right behind them. And when they got inside, their surprised gazes landed on-

Jo, Zane and Carter.

Henry was the first to move. He glanced from one to the other, seeing the subtle differences between the pairs. Both Carters wore their uniforms, but Jo was in a ratty, worn pink sweater and jeans, as opposed to the nice pair of jeans, white blouse and black blazer that his Jo wore. Her hair was down around her shoulders, unlike the tight, smooth ponytail their Jo wore her hair in. And unlike their Jo- who looked older, like they all did- this one looked young.

As did Zane.

He was dressed in a white tank, with a red plaid button down on over it, and a pair of jeans. He looked considerably younger- more like the kid Allison had brought from FBI Headquarters that long ago day back in oh seven. He was a little more built, like their Zane, but there was the prankster about him that their Zane didn't possess anymore.

Henry glanced back at their Zane. He met Henry's eyes, pulling Jo closer to him. Eventually, he said,

"I'll call Allison and the others, and tell them to get over here as fast as possible." He pulled out his PDA and quickly dialed her number, before the other Jo spoke up.

"They're here?" Henry nodded. "Thank God, Allison will know what to do. She'll help make him understand." Henry glanced at the others.

"Make.. who understand?" Her eyes lit up as she nodded towards Zane

"Zane. She'll make him see that I'm his wife, and that I'm back. For good." Zane glanced at Henry, eyes wide. The Section Five head scoffed, taking a deep breath.

"You're not my wife. Okay? My wife is right here." He glanced over at Jo, taking her hand and pulling her closer. "This is my wife. Not you." The other woman bit her lip.

"Okay, I get it. This is a joke, right?" The two shared confused glances. "Zane, you _know_ me. I'm your Josefina. I always have been. Re... remember when you came back from the Arctic and were acting cold and distant and-"

"And then Carter figured out that it was the ice core that was causing your change in attitude." Jo finished, turning to the man by her side. He nodded.

"Exactly." The doppelganger shook her head.

"No. You belong to me, you're mine! You always have been! From the moment we met, you've been mine!" She cried, going to him, but Jo stepped in front of him.

"Why don't you back off? You may look like me, you may have my memories, but you're not me. You don't belong to Zane, and he doesn't belong to you. He belongs to me. I'm his wife." She glanced up, catching Zane's double watching her closely, and after a moment, she turned back to herself.

"I've always belonged to him. This is my life! ANd you took it from me! One minute, I'm at home with my family, and the next I'm in the town square on Founders' Day! In an Eureka I don't know! Because of you!" Jo took a step closer to herself, confused.

"Wait. So you're... you're... the... the one I... _replaced?_" The other woman nodded, a triumphant smile on her face; she was getting her way, or so she thought.

"Yes." She crossed her arms over her chest. "You took my husband _and_ my children from me, and I want them back!" She moved towards Jo. "I'm going to get them back, if I have to get rid of you in the process." She reached out for herself, but Zane pulled his wife back to him, shoving her back towards Carter.

"Look, I don't know who you are, or what reality you're from, but you keep away from my daughters, you understand?" The clone shook her head, chuckling softly.

"Zane, why are you telling me this? If anything you should be telling the imposter over there. She's the one you need to worry about." She reached up, running her hands over his chest and staring into his eyes. "I'm your wife. Remember? Our wedding and... the night we concieved Dylan? Remember the chaos we went through when she was born? And Brookelyn? She wasn't exactly easy. Neither of those girls were. But we love them, they're ours. And... someday we'll expand our family a little more."

Jo watched, from Carter's comforting embrace, as he stared at the doppelganger. For a moment, he seemed to recognize her, and Jo felt her heart break. The clone didn't bother to hide the small smile that tugged at her lips as she caught sight of the pain. Zane glanced towards the stairs, seeing the girls watching in the shadows.

"Jojo and I did expand our family. Luca." He replied. Her eyes lit up.

"That's not _my_ daughter. Brooke and Dylan are my children, yes, but not that one! Not her! She doesn't belong to me and she doesn't belong here!" Jo had kept quiet long enough.

_"Of course she's not your daughter! She's my daughter! You didn't give birth to her, I did! Luca is my child! Mine and Zane's! And we love her, just as much as her sisters!"_ Her clone narrowed her eyes at her.

"Go back to your own time, and take that child with you." Then, she reached up, pulling Zane's mouth down to hers, as Allison and the others finally arrived.

"Henry, we got here as soon as we-" They stopped, at the sight of Zane kissing... Jo? And then Allison saw their Jo beside Carter; the young Security Head pulled away, stoic. She rushed from the house, pushing past Allison and Grace, who reached out for her. Zane pulled away when he heard the car start up; the triumphant smile on her face made his blood boil, and he grabbed her by the throat. "_Zane! What are you_-"

They watched as Zane grabbed her wrist, pulling her closer. He tightened his grip on her throat, until she choked. "Zane-" He let his blue eyes rove over her for several minutes, before he whispered,

"Now you listen to me, and you listen good. _You stay away from my wife and my daughters and me, and if I catch you anywhere near my family or our home, or where we work, or the school, I will not hesitate to kill you myself. Understand?"_ He shook her good once, and she nodded.

Neither Carter nor Zane moved to stop him; the Section Five Director made it_ abundantly_ clear that the warning went for them as well. Then, he let go of her, and left the house. They heard the sound of his motorcycle starting, before the sound faded into the distance. Once he was gone, Allison and the others turned to Henry.

"What exactly is going on?" She asked. Henry gestured to the living room, and Allison turned, taking in the sight of another Jo, Carter and Zane. Grace was the first to speak up.

"I... I'll go call Ava. We're gonna need her help."


	11. Chapter 11

**R****ifiuto: Non Miriena**

Jo turned, Ava Russell was makin her way into the house, tablet in hand, along with some sort of device. Instantly, Jo rushed towards her, throwing her arms around the woman. Ava stumbled back, laying a hand on her back. "Oh thank God! Dr. Russell, please, tell me you can get Zane to see reason."

"Um..." The blonde pulled away. "Ch... Chief Donovan?" Jo gave her a small smile. "I... I just saw you drive... past... what are you doing back here?"

Allison bit her lip. "That's why we called you, Ava. This... isn't Jo. Not... our Jo, anyway. This is- this is..." She glanced at Carter and Henry. She didn't know if Jo and Zane had told Ava about the time travel, but judging from the confusion on her face, she was betting they hadn't. After a moment's thought, Alliosn said, "This is... the original Jo. She was from this timeline and, when our Jo showed up, she replaced..." Allison gestured to Jo. Ava's eyes widened.

"So this is... this is the one we captured on our-" She stopped, stepping back and seeing the other Zane and Carter. "Oh dear." She quickly skimmed through her tablet, before turning to Henry. "Dr. Deacon, can we... open up GD and... run some scans? I... I'd like to test for exotic particals." Henry nodded instantly.

"Of course. I'd... feel a lot better if we tested them as well. And once we're done testing, we can figure out how to fix this." He turned to leave, but the sight of the girls on the stairs caused him paused. "You'd better come with us, girls. We don't want you here alone."

"Mommy told us to stay upstairs until it was safe." Luca replied. She curled into Dylan's side, playing with her older sister's teddy bear. Henry shared a glance with Allison before the Head of the Medical Department went to the stairs. She stopped several steps down from the girls, and held out her hand.

"I'm sure Mommy won't mind if you come with us. As long as you stick with Auntie Grace and Uncle Carter and I, I don't think Mommy will mind." After a moment, Luca went to her aunt, and Allison picked the child up, settling her on her hip. Despite the fact that she was only seven, Luca was exceedingly tiny for her age. Tiny, and slender and beautiful, like her sisters. Like her mother.

As light as a feather, as Zane said.

The child wrapped her arms tight around Allison's neck, and she held the child close, as she burst into tears. "Shh, shh, sweetheart. It'll be okay, I promise. It'll be okay."

"_I want Mommy..."_ Allison tangled her fingers in her goddaughter's hair, pressing a kiss to her head.

"I know, baby. We'll fix this, and then Mommy and Daddy will be back soon. I promise." She prssed a kiss to her goddaughter's hair, before turning and making her way down the stairs. As she passed by Jo, she cast the woman a glare no one missed. Dylan squeezed between Jo and Zane, clutching Brooke's hand. Once free, the girls rushed to join Allison. And as they left the house, Dylan turned back, a slight glimpse of recognition in her eyes as she looked at Jo. And then they- like the look that had passed over Dylan's small features- were gone.

Jo rushed out to the porch, watching as the girls climbed into Allison's car and they left, headed for GD. When she returned inside, Carter glanced at Henry and the others, sighing. "Well, I guess I have to take myself and the others in. I never thought I would hear myself say those words." He turned to Jo, pulling out his handcuffs.

"No, Carter, you know me!" He shook his head, going to her. He pulled her arms behind her back and cuffed her, not bothering if he hurt her. He leaned close, and she glanced at him over her shoulder.

"No. I know _my_ Jo. I don't know you."


	12. Chapter 12

**R****ifiuto: Non Miriena^**

**A/N: This chapter is for mondler1998. You're one of my biggest fans, and so this... is for you.**

"I thought I'd find you here." The breeze was cool against her cheek as she glanced over her shoulder. Zane stood by his bike, hands in his pockets. She turned back to the view laid out in front of her, and pressed her forehead to her knuckles, taking a deep breath before she looked up.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be home, kissing your_ wife_?" She asked. She'd meant the words to come out harsh, but they only succeeded in sounding hurt. He sighed, making his way towards the ledge and taking a seat next to her. She didn't glance his way, except-

"I am with my wife."

- When he took her hand in his.

"What?" She shook her head. "No. That... the one back there is... she's your wife." She choked out, tears in her dark eyes. He shook his head. "Yes, Zane, she is."

"_No,_ she's _not_. When I kissed her, I felt nothing. No... spark, no... rush, no... nothing. _Absolutely_ nothing." She looked up at him, blinking as the tears rolled down her cheeks. Gently, he reached out, brushing them away. He stared into her dark eyes, seeing the pain of watching him kiss her other self, the fear that she'd lose him, the fear that she'd lose her entire family. He reached up, brushing a stray strand of hair away. "After the ice core, that day in oh- eight, you never left my side. You were right by my side, every moment. And after I was electrocuted while trying to extract the data from Kim Two Point Oh, you were _right_ by my side, from the moment I woke up, until I was released." She nodded.

"I... remember..." She choked out.

"You never left my side, Josefina. And I'll _never_ leave yours. No matter _what_ happens. I will _always_ be right here. _Always_. That's a promise, I made fifteen years ago, and I won't break it. Never."

She pulled away, shaking her head. "You're _hers._ You always have been." She whispered. "_I_ was the replacement- the one that stole everything from her." She got up, but he pulled her back down.

_"No_. You reclaimed your memories. _Reclaiming your memories isn't stealing_. You didn't_ steal_ anything from her. You got a _part of yourself back_. You created your life here, with me and the girls, and... as hard as you've tried to bury her- that desperation she's steeped in- I think, that she's still inside you. The desperation to keep the girls safe, to keep _me_ safe, without thought to yourself, that's her. That kiss... that kiss was desperate. It was a desperate woman trying_ her hardest_ to hold onto something she'd lost a_ long time_ ago. Something that wasn't there to begin with."

She stared into his eyes for several minutes, before pulling away and getting up. She made her way to her car as he followed. Once she got there, she leaned on the hood, shoulders shaking with barely contained sobs. "How _could you_? Zane, we have_ a life_, a_ family_ and you go and-" He was in front of her in two strides, pulling her into his arms and crashing his mouth onto hers. He pressed her back against the vehicle before lifting her onto the hood. His hands moved around her back, tugging at her waist, pulling her until her thighs hugged his, and he leaned over her, one hand tangled in her ponytail, the other cradling her rear, holding her to him. He kissed her, tasting the differences between his Jo and the woman back at the house. They were so drastic, that he didn't even understand how he'd fallen in love with the other one in the first place. When he pulled away and rested his forehead to hers, he asked,

"Do you_ feel_ that? When I _touch_ you,_ kiss_ you, _make love_ to you? _Sparks, _Jojo. Sparks, a rush, the feel of _absolute completion_. I didn't have them with her, I never did. Only you." She pulled back, pushing him away and climbing off the hood.

"But I_ am her_, Zane! That's... _me!_ That's the... the one _you know_, the one_ you_ remember... the one _you thought I was_ and the one_ you love_..." He moved towards her, pressing her against the driver's door and taking her face in his hands.

_"Look at me, Jojo._ The one I _love_, is_ right here_ in my arms, she's curled up next to me every night in bed. She gave birth to my child seven years ago. The one_ I love is you_." He grasped her chin, forcing her gaze up._ "You, Jojo."_ But he could tell she didn't believe him. "What do I have to do to convince you, huh? Make love to you? Will _that_ convince you that I'm telling the the truth?" The pain in her eyes tore at his heart, and after a moment, he opened the backseat and shoved her inside, shutting and locking the car behind him.

"Zane, what are you-" She stopped, eyes wide as he removed his jacket and tossed it into the front seat._ "Have you lost your fucking mind?"_ He turned back to her.

"No, I haven't."

"Then _why_ are you-"

"I'm going to make love to you." She shook her head. "Damn it, Jojo! Our chemistry is just too intense! _How can you deny it?_ How can you_ possibly deny this_?" He grabbed her, pulling her flush against him. She felt him harden for her, and felt her body respond in kind. She laid her hands on his chest, felt his heart pounding in his chest, and knew hers was in time with his. He stared into her eyes before capturing her lips; his fingers worked the buttons of her blouse, tossing it away once it was off, before moving to her bra. Slowly, she worked on undressing him, her hands coming alive of their own accord and following his command. Her fingers brushed over him, and a part of her delighted in the soft moan that escaped his throat.

He pushed her down onto the seat, his lips moving from hers to the soft flesh of her throat and down over her collarbones. He tugged the straps of her bra down, pressing kisses to the soft, exposed mounds of her breasts. Her eyes rolled back, and she tangled her fingers in his hair, tugging his head back to hers. Their lips connected, tasting and teasing each other in that way they had. Her hands moved down to his slacks, and moments passed as she undid them and slipped her fingers between the waistband of his boxers. Once more, she stroked him gently, her pulse flipping at the response she was recieving. Reluctantly, he forced himself to pull away. "You're tense, babe. You have to calm down. Relax." He stared into her eyes. "Sex relieves tension-"

"And love causes it." She replied, reaching up and cradling his face. She searched, looking for something, and once she found it, she sat up, crashing her lips onto his. He pulled her into his lap, but she took control, somehow, pushing him onto his back and climbing into his lap. She yanked on the buttons of his shirt, sending several flying as she removed it, balling it up before throwing it in the front seat. Then, she moved her hands to the tank he wore underneath, a smal smile coming to her lips. "You know how much I love these, don't you?" She asked; he smirked, his hands gently cupping her ass. She leaned down, her lips near his ear. "And you also know how much I love doing this." And with one swift move, she'd ripped the tank he wore in two, exposing his muscular chest. Her hands ran down the washboard of his abs, grazing his waist. She grinned wickedly at his response, before pressing kisses to his chest.

He pulled her close, flipping them over with a move he must have learned from Casanova himself, and pulled her close, as he worked on removing her jeans from her body. His hands moved down her thighs, grasping at the black boyshorts she wore and pulling them off as well. "You decided to cover up today?" He observed. She whimpered, grasping his hand as he pulled her jeans off her body and tossed them aside.

"Only so you could undress me." She replied, voice husky. He chuckled softly, enjoying the dazed look in her eyes. His fingers trailed slowly back up her legs and along her thighs, coming to rest on her hips. She pushed herself up, capturing his lips, one arm going tight around his neck as he pulled her hips to his. She deepened the kiss, her arm tightening on his neck, her eyes wide, dark depths as he entered her, and they came together, sparks erupting and burning until they were consumed by a fire that neither knew how- nor wanted- to stop.

Their dieing ember soon became a blazing flame, jumping from object to object and setting ablaze everything in its path, leaving a trail of burning as in its wake. They were two wildfires, bound to meet in the middle eventually, and, like the Twin Towers on that fated September morning, during that fated first meeting on the streets of New York, they burned together. They smoked together; and eventually, came crashing down to Earth together. An inferno- so out of control, so chaotic, it could swallow Eureka whole- consumed them.


	13. Chapter 13

**R****ifiuto: Non Miriena**

"You can't do this, Carter!" She cried from the quarantine chamber. He cringed, he hated doing this, but he didn't have a choice. She paced back and forth, a caged animal, with her own exit blocked.

"I don't have a choice, Jo. You aren't from here-"

"Of course I'm from here! How can you say that I'm not? You know me! Re... remember the Christmas parties at SARAH, and... figuring out who exactly got rid of the robotic dogs and-"

"And the incident with the RSS." He finished. She broke into a grin, nodding.

"Yes, and that. We... we went to... to Dr. Leonardo's greenhouse and... and there was this... this sun that-" The sheriff shook his head.

"No, Jo." He stepped up to the glass, sombre. "The RSS... was a machine that was supposed to inflict absolute calm on the person or persons it was aimed at. It malfunctioned during a review, and did the exact opposite, infecting all of GD with uncontrollable rage. Allison, Zane and I were the only ones not infected- we were all downtown when the incident started. You pulled your gun on Zane and shot him. You handcuffed yourself to Allison's desk- to keep from hurting her, or worse. You'd already wounded Zane, and you and Allison were trapped in the infirmary with... all of GD trying to get in. And, in all honesty, I'm amazed Zane forgave you." Carter thought a moment. "He really does love you... but... not you, Jo. _Her_."

He glanced towards the doorway, where Jo and Zane stood talking softly. Zane reached out, rubbing her arm, before reaching down and taking her hand. Their fingers tangled together, and he pulled her into his arms, resting his forehead against hers. Jo glanced Carter's way, and Zane's vision followed. The sheriff smiled at them both before turning back to the quarantine chambers. She shook her head, hand covering her mouth, as she slowly met his gaze.

"No. _No!_ I would never do that to Zane-"

"Well you did. And once the device was turned off and everyone returned to normal, you realized what you'd done, and stayed by his side through the whole ordeal of surgery. Even now, you apologize, though Zane's long forgiven you. You weren't yourself." He watched, saw how hard this was for her to accept.

"What has she been trying to convince you of?" Carter turned as Jo and Zane joined him; the Section Five Head had his arm tight around her waist. He didn't miss the subtle glance Jo threw her doppelganger's way.

"I asked her what the RSS-" Zane shuddered, pulling Jo closer. "incident was about, but... she doesn't know. She thinks it had something to do with Dr. Leonardo. She has no clue it had to do with all out and out rage." Again, Zane shivered, closing his eyes tight.

"I never want to hear the words Rage Supression System or Parrish in the same sentence- or at all- ever again." Jo sighed softly, reaching up and laying a hand on his chest.

"I never meant to hurt you, you know that? I was infected. I would never shoot you- no deliberately. I'm sorry." He stared into her dark eyes, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"And how many times do I have to tell you, Jojo, that you can stop apologizing. I know you weren't yourself. I forgave you a long time ago." Then, he leaned down, kissing her gently. He took her hand, rubbing his thumb over her fingers, before lacing them.

_"Get away from him! Don't you touch him! You hear me? You leave him alone!"_ The pair turned to stare at her, as she struggled to somehow grasp the glass keeping her fenced in.

"Jo, don't. It's not going to do any good. They don't believe you, they never will. The best we can hope for is getting back to our own time-"

"And _what, Carter_? Living our lives as if_ nothing_ happened? As if I don't know that that- _bitch took my family! Took the man I love from me_!" She snapped; Carter's own clone sighed from his chamber. Zane's twin was surprisingly quiet; unbeknownst to the others, he was working the numbers in his head, matching everything up, and coming up with a conclusion that would send the order of his world into chaos.

"I didn't take anyone from you!" Jo snapped, taking a step towards the chamber, but Zane held her back. "You left, and all I did was fill the void. I regained my memories-"

"They aren't your memories,_ they're mine_!"

"And made a life for myself here! Had another child! Zane and I are happy! Can't you just leave us alone?"

"Jojo, stop. There's no use trying to reason, she won't listen." Zane whispered softly against her ear as he pulled her to him. Then, he took her hand, squeezing. "Come on. Let's go get lunch. We'll pick the girls up and maybe go up to Lookout and have a picnic. Sound good?" She nodded, as Zane tugged her gently too him. He turned back to Carter once they reached the doorway. "Let us know if anything changes, Carter." The sheriff nodded, watching as his friends left. Jo cast one last glance back to the chamber- and her reflection- as they left.


	14. Chapter 14

**Rifiuto: Non Mirena^**

She sat, staring out the window as they drove to Lookout Point. The normally chatter-filled car was unusally quiet. Zane glanced at his wife, she had her elbow resting on the door handle, chin in her hand, watching as the trees of Oregon passed. He glanced in the mirror, the girls were just as quiet as their mother, all lost in their thoughts. Dylan clutched a familiar teddy bear, dressed in Spanish skirt and blouse- a gift from her deceased Uncle Luca, when she was born- looking so worn, that for a moment, Zane had a hard time imagining that was the same bear that had belonged to his mother-in-law. Brooke was fiddling with one of Zane's pass-the-time projects- something that looked like a pocketknife, but wasn't. Luca sat staring out the window, lost in thought, like Jo. Sighing, he reached out, taking his wife's hand. She turned at the contact, dark eyes blinking, startled out of her thoughts and glanced down, before meeting his gaze with a small smile. He squeezed her hand gently, before returning his attention to the drive.

Ten minutes later, they passed Lookout Point- an action that got everyone's attention.

"Daddy, we just passed the turnoff." Dylan said, turning around to see the turn getting further and further away.

"I know." Zane replied, a grin tugging at his lips. Jo followed Dylan's gaze before turning to her husband.

"Zane? I thought we were going to the Point. Why did we pass it?" He glanced at Jo out of the corner of his eye.

"Change of plans." She raised her eyebrows.

"What plans? And why wasn't I informed?"

"Because I just decided to change them." He replied. She narrowed her eyes. "Don't look at me in that tone of voice. It may get to the girls, and scare the crap out of Carter, as well as the entire town, but it _won't_ work on me. I'm immune to your tones, Jojo."

"Daddy, where are we going?" Brooke asked.

"To the woods."

"But Daddy, we don't have anything for camping." Zane chuckled at his oldest daughter's logic.

"Not camping, Dy. But this place is in the woods, and it's been in our family for generations."

An hour later, they pulled up in front of-

"Zane, what are we doing at your family's cabin?" Jo asked as they followed her husband up the steps to the porch.

"I figured fifty miles was far enough away from the psychotic craziness at GD- and about the only place I can spend time with my girls without being forced to rush back into town." He replied, holding the door open for his daughters, who entered with wide eyes. Zane grabbed Jo around the waist, pulling her to him. "Remember how we fixed this place up, and... spent our first night here as a family? Dy had just been born- maybe a couple months older than Brooke had been when we told the others your secret? She learned to walk in this cabin." He looked around, before turning his gaze back to hers. "Brooke was concieved here." She smiled softly, arms going around his neck.

"I remember. I also remember how Dy caught us. We had to explain what we were doing. _Not_ a conversation I wanted to have with my three-year-old." He chuckled, brushing his lips over her ear.

"But the conversation about _how_ we'd made her baby sister was so much more interesting, don't you think, Jojo?" He asked; she shoved him.

"Not funny. Don't you remember how we had to explain why my belly was getting so big?" He chuckled gently, pulling her close and kissing her.

"I love you, Jo." She couldn't hide the smiling tugging at her lips.

"I love you."

"Mommy! Daddy!" The pair pulled away, and shut the door softly behind them as Luca rushed into the living room. "Don't we stay here in the summer?" Jo wrapped her arms around herself as Zane nodded, one hand in his pocket, the other around his wife.

"We used to, Lua." He replied, shrugging.

"Why'd we stop?" Her parents shared knowing looks.

"Because life got in the way. Brookie was born, and then Uncle Luca was killed and then you were born... It was... easier to go visit Grandpa and Grandma back East than have them come out here."

"Can we come here this summer? And Christmas too?" Zane glanced at his wife, before pulling awy and kneeling down. He scooped his youngest up, balancing her on his hip. For seven-years-old, she was awful light.

"You really want to?" She nodded. "Tell you what, once we get this mess sorted out, Mommy and I will talk. Okay?" The child nodded. "Good, now, where are your sisters?"

"Back here, Daddy!" They followed Dylan's voice, coming upon the back bedrooms. The cabin was pretty good sized; a good-sized kitchen and living room, there were two small bathrooms, and three bedrooms, master included, and three small office areas. After Brooke had been concieved, they'd converted two of the offices into bedrooms, and then, in the last four years, converted the last office into one as well- a total of six bedrooms, enough for the girls to have a few friends over, if the situation ever occured. "There's enough bedrooms that Grandpa and Grandma could come stay." She said, once her parents entered her room. She'd rummaged through her closet and pulled on a sweater. The poor girl was shivering from the cold. "Daddy can we start a fire?" He chuckled softly, setting Lua down.

"Sure thing, baby girl. There's wood in a basket by the fireplace, go set it up and I'll be in soon to light it." They watched the girls rush into the front of the house; once gone, Zane turned back to Jo. She stepped closer, a small smile tugging at her lips. "What?" She shook her head.

"Nothing. I just love you, that's all." He grinned, wrapping an arm loosely around her waist.

"And I love you." Their lips brushed gently, and after a moment, she tucked herself beneath his chin.

"I'm worried." She whispered against his chest. He sighed, rubbing her back. "What if... what if she... manages to... convince everyone... convince you... that she's... me?" She asked, pulling away to look at him. He studied her face, tears in her eyes, and gently, he reached up, laying a finger against her lips.

"Shh."

"But-"

"It's not going to happen babe. I love you, I chose you. Eureka trusts you, the people at GD trust you, I trust you. You're brilliant."

"N-"

"You're intelligent and intuitive... and for years... People haven't- and still don't- give you enough credit."

"_What are you_ talking about?" She snarled. "You _never_ made me forget how much smarter you were than me-" Zane put a finger to his lips.

"Shh. No. I love you just the way you are."

"If you say, I complete you, I _may hurl_." She replied. He chuckled softly, pulling her flush against his body.

"And let me guess... if I were a hallucination, then whatever I'd say would be coming from you?" He asked, his breath warm against her ear. She pulled away and looked up at him, a horrified, wide-eyed look on her face.

"From _me?_ That... that is _straight out of a romance novel_! That is _nothing_ like how you really are. How we... really are." She let her dark eyes roam up to his face again. He was grinning, the Chesire Cat who'd eaten the pink flamingo. But after a moment, the grin faded, and he tucked her back beneath his chin.

"Allison told me that Warren Hughes was going to stop by to evaluate their relationship... remember when we had to go through that?" He asked, rubbing her back. She nodded, nuzzling against his chest.

"I was so nervous. Even more than on our wedding day, than when Dy was born... it terrified me. I'm just glad he gave us the okay."

"Remember what he told us?" She thought a moment, nodding, silent.

"What'd he say?" The pair turned, to see Brooke standing in the doorway. Her long, pin-straight black hair was pulled over her shoulder in a familiar ponytail. A moment passed, before Zane reached up, gently running his fingers through his wife's own ponytail.

"Is the fire ready to be lit?" He asked; Brooke nodded.

"But Daddy, what'd he say?" He glanced at Jo, before pulling away and slipping past his daughter. He gently tugged on her ponytail, before leading them into the living room. Dylan had put _Homeward Bound_ on, and she was sitting on the sofa with Luca cuddled into her lap, beneath a blanket. The fire was started in minutes, and once there was a warm glow radiating from the fireplace, Zane went to the kitchen. He fixed some hot chocolate, bringing Jo the last cup before taking a seat next to her on the sofa. "What'd he say, Daddy?"

"Who?" Dylan asked, looking to her little sister as she sipped her hot chocolate. Brooke turned to her.

"Daddy said that... Mr. Hughes was here. That... he said something, but Daddy won't say what." Zane chuckled at how his middle child chose to paraphrase.

Brooke was brilliant, much like he was, but when it came to spelling out her thoughts in spoken words, she had a hard time. Almost like... a speech-form of dyslexia. Not that Zane and Jo cared. They loved their baby girl just the same, but Jo had admitted to him once or twice how worried she got; how she feared Brooke's classmates would pick on her for the way she spoke. And Zane often reassured her that the kids knew better than to go after Brooke- not only was she Dylan's baby sister, but the fact that she was the daughter of both the Director of Section Five and the Head of Security, meant that Brooke- and Dylan and Luca- were practically untouchable.

_"Children are cruel, Zane. And the children at Tesla- most likely even more so. What's going to stop them from going after Brookie with that same cruelty?"_

Zane smiled at the child, pulling her so that she was tucked between her parents. "When Warren Hughes came down to evaluate our relationship- long before any of you were even _thought_ of- he told us, at the end of the evaluation, that he'd never seen two people more... matched, than us. That... we were a perfect pair. Albeit a little cracked, and a little eccentric, but overall, perfect for each other. Just as long as we didn't kill each other, he promised to approve our relationship."

"So... you have to be... seen by a relationship specialist in order to get married in Eureka?" Dylan asked, pulling the blanket closer. Jo shrugged.

"It's just to make sure that your personal relationship doesn't compromise your work, that's all."

"And... if he doesn't approve?" Zane glanced at Jo.

"Then, you either end the relationship, or lose your jobs." They watched as Dylan wrinkled her nose- a perfect imitation of Jo.

"But you didn't have to, right? You're a perfect pair, right?"

Zane turned his gaze back to Jo. "An absolutely perfect pair." Jo grinned softly at him, before leaning close and capturing his lips in a kiss.


	15. Chapter 15

**Rifiuto: Non Mirena**

"This isn't fair! You can't do this!" She cried, never stopping her pacing. She moved back and forth across the small quarantine chamber, every bit the caged and cornered animal.

"Jo, just calm down! We'll figure something out-" Carter started from his own chamber. Zane ,in the last chamber, ignored them; he was slowly- and silently- working through all the variables of the formula, all the pieces of the puzzle and fitting them together. And they all centered around-

"Have you heard anything from Jo and Zane?" Allison asked, entering the room, Fargo behind her. Carter shook his head.

"I think they said something about... maybe going out to lunch..." He started. "Why?"

"This." Allison shoved a tablet under his nose. "See this arc here?" Carter nodded. "That's the frame of time we have to send these guys back to their time. If we don't, they're stuck here. Forever."

"Oh, that's bad."Allison raised her eyes.

"You think?"

"Plus, if we don't, it could very well rip the two timeline apart." Henry added as he joined them, Grace on his heels.

"So, wait, you're saying that... that if we don't send Carter and Zane and... her back, it could rip the timelines apart?" Jo cried from the chamber. Everyone turned. Allison was the first to lash out.

"We are not going to be sending Jo back, we will be sending you back, because you are the one who doesn't belong here." She snapped.

"No. If someone doesn't belong here, it's that... imposter! It's her, not me! I belong here, I was here, until she showed up and... stole my life! She took everything from me!"

"Could you... have taken everything from her, also?" Carter asked, one chamber down.

"What?" Jo spun to the wall, confusion on her face.

"Maybe, when you came to her timeline, you took over her life also. You took her place, just like she took yours." He replied. "And maybe Zane can attest to it." Every head turned to the final chamber, Zane looked up, disturbed from the formulas he was working out in his head. "Jo didn't reply because I walked in on you and assumed when I shouldn't have. And then, suddenly, you show up, and... I think you scared the guy, Jo. You come in, saying that you're married and that you have two children together, that you're both working at GD and that you have this life... that... you haven't even considered starting yet... that maybe he had no idea what you were talking about? That maybe he wasn't ready for that kind of commitment. Did you even consider that?"

"He was ready. He asked, and I said yes... and... he should have remembered..."

"But he didn't. Because it never happened in our timeline. And... how do you think she felt, being thrown into this time, where she's married and has two kids... that she doesn't even remember..."

_"Shut up, Carter!"_ Jo cried, once wheeling on the wall seperating her from her kill. The alternate sheriff rolled his eyes.

"Oh calm down-"

"How much longer do you have, Allison?" All conversation stopped; those outside the chambers turned to Zane, who stood with his hands in his pockets.

"Sorry?" She stepped closer.

"How much time do we have, before the arc closes?" Allison stared at him, surprised, before glancing down at the tablet in her hands.

"Um... f... four days. Why, Zane?" He shrugged.

"Just... curious." Then, he turned from her, preferring to work out the formulas in his head instead of engaging in chitchat. Allison turned to Henry and Carter.

"We have to find Jo and Zane. They have to know about this." Carter nodded, pulling out his PDA.

"I'm on it, Ali."


	16. Chapter 16

**Rifiuto: Non Mirena^**

She stretched out; the movie they'd been watching finished, the fire crackling in the fireplace, the hot chocolate drunk. She was tucked between the sofa and Zane, her legs stretched out with his as she lay half on his chest, head tucked under his chin. The girls had gone to bed, and now, they lay on the sofa, watching the flames dance. Jo had to agree, this was by far the best change of plans she'd ever been involved in. After they'd gotten settled and lunch had been made- which they'd eaten at the small family table in the kitchen area, the girls had asked if they could stay the night and go back in the morning- since it was a Friday, and school wasn't until Monday. Zane, of course, had grinned at the idea, and after much begging from the girls- and many kisses to her soft skin and whispered promises to make this mini-vacation worth her while from Zane- Jo had relented. They'd stay the night, and return in the morning.

"I'm glad we stayed." She whispered, looking up at him. He grinned at her, a soft look in his eyes as he stared at her. Her brow furrowed in confusion. "What? Zane? Something wrong?"

He shook his head. "No. Nothing's wrong. Nothing at all." He whispered, reaching up to cradle her cheek. She pushed herself up, until she was curled into his shoulder, her forehead beneath his cheek. He wrapped his arms around her, breathing in her familiar scent. "I love you, Jojo. So much." She chuckled softly.

"I love you too." They lay watching the flames dance, lost in their own thoughts, both wondering how they managed to come to this point in their lives. Zane reached down, playing with her fingers, tracing the smooth metal of her wedding band. He pressed a firm kiss to her forehead, becoming so lost in the feel of the woman in his arms, that he didn't hear to soft footsteps coming into the living room.

"Daddy?" Slowly, he tore his gaze away from the crackling flames, turning twin blue orbs to his middle child. Brooke stood, dressed in a pair of plaid fleece pajamas, her hair in two pigtails down her back, and clutching a stuffed mouse in her arms.

"What is it, Brookie?" The child swallowed, stepping in front of the fireplace. Zane's sudden fatherly instinct was on high alert at the look of fear in his daughter's eyes, and he sat up, shifting his wife as he took his feet off the sofa. "Come here, baby girl." She rushed to them, diving between them and burrowing into Zane's side. "Did you have a bad dream?" The child nodded, looking up at her father. Zane glanced at his wife.

"What was your dream about, baby girl?"

"They tried to make you leave." She whispered, turning to Jo. "They wanted to take you away." Tears glistened in her eyes. "And Daddy... tried to stop them, but they took you anyways. And you... went through this... light thingy and... and... disappeared..." Jo glanced up at Zane. The look of shock in his eyes mirrored hers. "Don't go away, Mommy! You can't go away! You can't leave us!" Brooke threw herself into Jo's arms, her sobs becoming muffled as she buried her face in her mom's chest.

"_Oh Brookie_..." She pulled away, lifting the girl's chin to stare into her blue eyes. "I'm not going anywhere_. No one_ is going to take me away. Okay, pup pup? It was just a bad dream. I'm not going anywhere. I _promise_. Okay?" Brooke nodded, fresh tears running down her cheeks, that Jo quickly wiped away. "I love you, Brookie." She pressed a kiss to her daughter's forehead. "Now go back to bed and get some sleep, okay?" The child nodded. Zane and Jo watched her disappear into the back hall, before he got up, pulling her to her feet. He refused to let Jo see how Brooke's hysteria had unnerved him.

"Come on. It's midnight. And... I don't know about you, but I'm tired." She chuckled as she stumbled into his arms, reaching up to lay a hand to his chest to steady herself. Her dark eyes danced as she pulled away.

"Funny, cause I'm not tired." She said, moving past him. "You must be getting slow in your old age, Donovan." She said, glancing back at him. He shook his head once, before chasing after her.

"I'll show you old age!" A screech broke the quiet, as he managed to grab her around the waist. He carried her over his shoulder, a ragdoll with long, silken black hair that tickled his chin every time she moved her head. He set her gently on her feet once they reached their bedroom, but before he had a chance to remove his overshirt, she'd shoved him back against the bed. He hit the matress and before he could breathe, she'd climbed on top of him, her mouth melding to his as her hands worked on his clothes, while his hans moved to catch up. Thank God they came back a month earlier and cleaned the place up. It had been a task, but it was worth it. _"What has gotten into you tonight?"_ He asked, amusement coating every syllable. She took the time in between kisses to undress both him and herself, and now she reached for the buckle of his belt.

"I want you, Zane." She leaned close, even as she undid his belt and his jeans. "I want to feel my body against yours; I want skin to skin, mouth to mouth. I want to scream your name,... I want us to be together..." Her soft purr sent chills down his spine, and a moment passed, before they'd switched places. Eventually, he pulled her into his lap, and they lost themselves in each other, and when they finally collapsed among the blankets, smelling sweetly of sex, Jo tucked up against his chest, Zane voiced the fear he'd been trying to forget since this all began.

"Jo?" She nuzzled into him with a sleepy,

"Hmm?"

He sighed. "Do you... I... I know that... this is... that it sounds... ridiculous... but..."

"Zane," He looked up, to find her sitting up, watching him with dark chocolate eyes. "Spit it out, before I make you." He scoffed gently, nodding.

"First off... that's... so hot..." She raised an eyebrow. "And second... do you... or have you... considered it?" Her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Considered what?" He pushed her away, moving to the edge of the bed and quickly getting dressed.

"Going back. To your... original timeline." The surprised look on her face confirmed that she'd never even thought of it. A moment passed as she gaped like a fish; he tossed her her clothes, and she quickly got dressed.

"Wh... why would I, Zane? My life is here." He took her hand, pulling her close, and leading her out of the room. Dawn was just approaching- she wasn't sure if they'd gotten any sleep- and once they were in the kitchen, Zane started the coffee. He leaned against the counter, watching her. "Zane, you're scaring me." He sighed.

"Have you ever thought about going back, Jojo? It's a simple question, with a simple answer. Yes or no."

She accepted the coffee when it finished brewing, and took a sip to delay her answer. But when she felt Zane's blue gaze on her, she looked up, taking a deep breath. "Yes."


	17. Chapter 17

**Rifiuto: Non Mirena**

"What are you working on? You're so quiet." Zane looked up at the sound of Jo's voice from the chamber two down. He thought a moment.

"Nothing major, just... running formulas. Why?" Carter snickered from the middle chamber.

"Because she wants to know if you're going to be able to get us- or her, rather- out of here. That's the only true reason she's interested."

"Shut up, Carter!" Zane rolled his eyes and continued his pacing. He thought he had a pretty good idea of where his theory was going, he just... hoped to God that he was wrong. He sighed, glancing out at the hallway; it had to be about dawn, or close to. He hadn't been paying much attention. He turned back to his pacing, working out of the formulas in his head.

Jo had disappeared in two thousand ten, along with Carter, Allison, Fargo and Henry.

On Founders' Day.

And she'd come back.

On Founders' Day.

Only, when she'd returned, she kept insisting that they were married and had a couple kids.

Dylan and Brookelyn.

He sighed. He'd never be able to forget those names, or the persons they'd belonged to. He'd been in the house when Jo had been confronted by... well, herself... and had seen the two older girls- they certainly looked like Jo, that was for sure. Beauties, both of them. He shook his head.

_Focus, Donovan._

He took a deep breath, resuming his pacing and adding the next pieces of the puzzle into place.

When she first returned, Jo had been tested for exotic particles.

She'd tested positive, proof that she was from an alternate time. It had taken them weeks to get her to accept that she wasn't going home.

Jo had talked desperately about returning home to her time- about going back to her girls, and her Zane.

She'd ended up staying, much to her chargin.

And although they had a good relationship, she still couldn't get the homesickness. So when she came up with this ridiculous scheme, he knew she was destined for psych ward.

"Zane, will you please talk to me? I'm sorry-"

"Why don't you just-"

_"Can it, Carter!"_

Zane ignored the arguement that had broken out between the other two. He shook his head, returning to his theory. Thanks to you two, I have to start over.

It took him a few minutes, but eventually, he got through it, before coming to the second half- the part he was shaky on, but certain.

There was a Jo here, and she was married to another him.

They had a family- if those three girls were any indication.

They were obviously deeply in love-

He stopped, taking a deep breath. He'd worked it and worked it and worked it; and each time, came to the exact same conclusion. A conclusion that, honestly, made him sick to his stomach. Because if he was right- and he was fairly positive he was- then that meant that_ this_ Jo, the one in _this_ timeline...

Had once been his.

"So, we've finally-" He looked up; Allison and Henry entered, with Fargo, Grace and Carter behind them. Zane looked around, it really couldn't be-

"You look surprised." Henry said, stopping in front of the quarintine chamber. Zane turned back to him.

"Do you have the time, Henry?" The director nodded.

"Seven fifteen." Zane nodded.

"I wasn't aware-"

"You lose track of time in these chambers. Perfectly normal." Henry replied.

_"I don't see why you have to be such a-"_

_"If you weren't-"_

Zane groaned softly, rubbing his temples. "They've been at it all night, practically. I think I slept an hour or two and that was the only time I didn't have to listen to them." He glanced at Henry, who nodded. "So, what do we have? Or... what do you have?" He asked, nodding towards the tablet Allison was holding. She looked up at him.

"Well, we've... found a way to keep the window open longer than... three days." Zane raised an eyebrow.

"How?" He asked.

"A-"

"Resetting of the Bridge Device. See, the town may have been founded on the date you arrived, but the plans weren't approved by the government until a month later. Grace and I have been able to figure that if we calibrate it to thedate that the plans were approved, we may-"

"So, have we figured out... anything?" Everyone turned, as the subject of the whole fiasco entered the area, holding tight to his hand. Jo opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, Carter snapped at her to be quiet. Allison turned to them.

"Actually we have-" And Zane listened as Allison and Henry once again explained their solution. Her eyebrows rose in surprise. Zane chuckled softly; typical Jo reaction, no matter the timeline. He spent his spare time studying her; she looked the same- sure, she was probably a little thinner than before, and her curves had filled out, most likely due to her getting older, and the little girl she'd obviously had seven years prior- but still, the same Jo. She still looked beautiful, still had the same quirks he remembered, she'd just... grown up.

It was her voice that had snapped him out of his study.

"So, what do you say, Jack? Think it's safe to let them out?" Carter turned to the Head of Security.

"Are you... nuts? Let them out? All three of them? Have you met yo-" The sheriff stopped. "Jo, meet... Jo?" He said, turning and gesturing to the woman in the chamber. She glared at him, before turning her dark gaze to her double. The Head of Security, for her part, ignored the woman, turning instead to her friend.

"Can it, Carter. No one likes a smartass." He scoffed.

"No one likes a- you married one!" Zane watched from the chamber as she waved the comment away, and turned to him, arms crossed. A moment passed, before Zane heard the three words that he hadn't heard since coming to Eureka.

"Let him out."

Who?" She glanced at her husband, nodding.

"Yourself. He's not causing any harm. He's just... thinking. Like you always do."


	18. Chapter 18

**Rifiuto: Non Mirena^**

She ignored the screech of her doppelganger as she turned on her heel and stalked out of the area. Arms crossed tight over her chest, she stalked to her office, tears in her eyes; tears she refused to let fall until she was safely behind the sliding doors. She took a deep breath, quickening her pace.

How _dare_ he. How_ dare_ he accuse her of having feelings for... for the other him. How _dare_ he, when_ he knew_ that she belonged to him and_ him alone_! Never, had she ever, _ever_ once thought of leaving him, nor did she stray, no matter how tempting some of the other scientists- hell, even Carter- were. Flirted, yes. Teased, yes. Dangled herself in front of them and cruelly dashed their dreams, sure, but actually _sleep_ with them? Go out with them? Climb out of their beds and into his after a one-night stand? _Never. _

How_ dare he_.

She sat heavily in her chair, becoming lost in her thoughts.

She never, _never_ cheated on Zane. The thought- the mere _suggestion_- of waking with another man's weight on her, or arms around her, or breath in her ear, made her sick. Sure, there'd been a..._ thing_... with Taggart- she still wasn't sure_ what_ it was; a small part of her was leaning towards beastiality- but that had been_ long_ before Zane came into the picture. And Callistar was_ two years_ before _Carter_ even showed up; Brogan, was another story, though. He'd come, stayed at Mansfield's orders, and they'd rekindled their minor romance for a few weeks, before he got clingly and she got sick of it. She'd called Uncle Theo herself and demanded Brogan be removed. The excuse didn't matter, just as long as he was gone by morning. And that thing with Fargo- she shivered. The was_ never_ a thing with Fargo, and no amount of shared dreaming could convince her otherwise.

She choked out a sob, burying her face in her hands. That he could _suggest_-

"You okay?" Her head snapped up; Zane stood leaning against the door frame, watching her, hands in his pockets. A moment passed, before she nodded.

"Yeah, I... I'm fine. Um... how did you... find me?" He shrugged, coming down the steps.

"Wasn't that hard. I know GD, old timeline or new." She nodded, sitting back. He watched her as he stopped in front of her desk. "Although, I don't think your husband will be too happy when he finds me, but you looked upset. Figured, I'd come see how you were doing." She gave him a small smile.

"Thanks."

He nodded, studying her. "You look older, Jo." She bit her lip, glancing down at her desk.

"Ah... I am older." When she looked up next, he'd come to her side, perching on the edge of her desk. His blue gaze studied her face, and she couldn't help feeling as though she were being scrutinized by the principal for some ridiculous prank that she hadn't even been a part of. "Henry and Grace are still working on the device to send the three of you home." She said, getting up and moving past him. He grabbed her arm, turning her back.

"Are you happy here, Jojo?" The use of her nickname- Zane's nickname- startled her.

"What?"

"Are you... happy here?" She nodded.

"Yes." She pulled away, going to her filing cabinet. She could sense him wandering around her office, and when she looked back, he was holding a photograph in his hand, studying the image.

"They're beautiful." She looked up. "These girls of yours." He whispered, showing her the image. She nodded, crossing her arms as she joined him. A small smile began working its way over her features, as she stared at the photograph. Memories of that fall day came rushing back to her, and she chuckled softly.

They'd been in Boston, visiting Tessa, and after one particularly hectic- because any type of meal at the Donovan house, either in Boston or Eureka was hectic- lunch, they'd taken the girls to a park to burn off some of the energy they'd acquired. Lua had rushed after her sisters, crying for them to wait up, as she and Zane followed behind, chatting with Tessa. At one point, he'd grabbed her hand, slipping his fingers into hers and squeezing. Their tender moment had been intertupped when the girls announced that they'd found a leaf pile- and were begging for their parents to jump into it too. Jo and Tessa had gently refused, but Zane- being_ Zane_, and having that prankster in him,albeit tiny- rushed off to join his girls. Eventually, they'd all gotten into the game, and at one point, Zane grabbed her around the waist, pulling her into the giant pile of leaves. Tessa had managed to snap several shots of her children and grandchildren- this was one. Luca was throwing a handful of leaves at Brooke, and in the background, Dylan had taken a flying leap- her grandmother just happened to catch her mid-air, before she became buried in the pile of red, orange, yellow and brown. They were having fun, being innocent, the way Jo wanted them to be. But she knew that this experience would most likely steal their innocence- if the adults in the situation didn't fix it.

Fast.

"That was... taken in Boston. We... went to see Tessa... and... that was... after lunch..." He turned to her, startled.

"You've been to-"

"Of course I have. She's their grandmother. I can't keep her from my children. From our children." He thought a moment.

"Could you have imagined it?" He glanced back at her, a small smile on his face.

"What?"

"Children. In our timeline. If... you'd stayed and... not come to this... said yes. Could you have imagined? Children."

"That's all I ever truly wanted, Zane. Children. A family." She licked her lips. "And I got it- in this time." He nodded, thinking. If he was going to test his theory, he better do it, before his alternate showed up and tried to kill him. Gently, he set the image down, and crossed his arms, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Why... won't you come home, Jo? I'm sure we can pick up where we left off." He pushed himself away from her desk and put his hands back in his pockets, wandering around the room. "We'll... get engaged, get married and... get here. Eventually." He said, nodding to the photograph. She shook her head.

"I'm sorry Zane, but... I can't. This... this is my home. My life. I can't leave my life... or... my girls... or... you." He took a deep breath. A moment passed, before he went to her.

"I get it. Need." She cocked her head to the side.

"Sorry? I..." Zane sighed.

"I wanted you, but I never needed you. He needed you. He_ needs_ you." He said, nodding to the ring on her finger. She glanced down at it, before looking up at him again.

"I'm sorry..."

"Don't be. We just... we weren't meant to be... not in our timeline, anyway." He moved away, but turned back to her. Before she knew it, she was in his arms, staring into his eyes.

"Zane, what are you-" He laid a finger on her lips.

"Shh. Don't... fight me on this, Jo. I just... I need to test a theory and... it requires your help." She stared into his eyes, silent. Eventually, she nodded, reaching up to grab a handful of his shirt, as he gently laid his lips on hers-

_"What the hell is going on here?"_ The kiss- that felt like hours, but was only a couple minutes at most- was broken like the floodgates over a city. She pulled away, startled. Zane stood in the doorway, horror and hurt in his blue eyes, and a moment passed, as he struggled to speak. "I catch you... _kissing_..." She stumbled, grabbing onto the desk, as Zane's alternate self stepped away; he knew better than to step into a couple's spat- learned the hard way, unfortunately.

"Zane, it was just a test- I felt nothing-"

"And I'm supposed to _believe_ that? When... nearly twenty-four hours ago, you were telling me that if you had the chance, you'd go back to your time, and leave me and the girls here? Jo, _how could you_?"

"Zane-"

"I thought I knew you. Damn it, Jo, you're _my wife_!" He shook his head. "I don't know you at all." She took a deep breath, before rushing to him as he turned and headed for the door. She grabbed his arm, forcing him to turn back to her.

"Look at me._ Zane,_ _look at me. _Do you feel that? Do you _sense_ that?" She pressed her palms to his cheeks, feeling the undeniable spark that surged between them. Then, she moved her hands down his chest; her heart flipped, her pulse quickened and she felt what she knew was love, flood through every vein of her being. One glance into his eyes, and she knew he felt it too, just as strong, just as right. She leaned up, pressing a kiss gently to his lips. "Do you_ taste_ that?"

He pulled away, pain in his eyes. "Jo-" She licked her lips, reaching up and gently tugging on the lapels of his jacket, in that way of hers. She turned, glancing back at her husband's double.

"I... was in love... with him." She took a deep breath. "We... we had a spark. And... we were... at that stage... a wedding... engagement... and I..." She took another breath, closing her eyes to stop the flood of tears. Even now, years later, after she'd been thrown from one timeline to another, after she'd regained her memories, after she'd found and made her home here, after she'd had his child, memories of that alternate time- a world where she and Zane were never meant to be- still choked her up. And it was at times, when she thought she'd made the whole thing up; an elaborate story, with intricate plot twists and interesting characters- a tangled web woven to decieve her at every turn. She'd even told Zane that she thought she'd made it up. She looked back at her husband's double again.

"I froze. And..." She stopped, thinking. She chuckled softly, shaking her head. "You know, there was a time when I wanted... _this_-" She gestured between them, and Zane sighed. He knew she was also including the girls, even though she didn't say anything. "_so much."_ She licked her lips, glancing back at Zane's younger self. He gave her a small smile, and his smile gave her courage. "But... I was afraid... I'd mess it up." Her teeth came out to nibble on her lower lip. "I made the wrong choice. And... now... I... I'm in a timeline where... I made the _right_ choice. I said yes, and... we made a life, and a family, even... even though I didn't... remember at first." She sighed, going to her desk and removing a small, velvet box.

"Jo, what are you _doing_?" He watched as she picked up the box, as she it in his palm, as she knelt on the steps in front of him, her raven hair tumbling over her shoulders. At some point- neither was really sure when- she'd removed her hair tie. If Zane were to guess, the tie, plus the added stress of the situation, had given her a head ache- and so she removed the tie to lessen at least some of the stress. Whatever the reason, Zane didn't care, he loved her when she wore her hair up, but also when she wore it down, and never hesitated to tell her so. And now, watching as she knelt before him, and he saw the vulnerability in her face, he knew that she was speaking from the heart- laying it before him, like he'd once done for her, and expecting, waiting, anticipating, for him to shatter it.

"I fell in love... with_ you, Zane_. And... there's... a very, tiny... part of me... that... feels like I... like I missed out... on us... coming to this timeline... I came here blind, with... no memories but the ones I'd desperately tried to cling to. Of a... man I never belonged to. A... a man who wanted me..." She glanced back at his alternate; Zane saw him nod, a supportive smile tugging gently at his lips. "but never needed me." She said, turning back to her husband. "You... needed me. The girls... needed me... back then... and they need me now... and... so do you. Zane... I know you'd been left... I know about your dad... and... your grandmother's death... about the people who were supposed to... be there for you and... only succeeded in walking away. I know they left you broken, and... that it took years for me to... to break down those walls... I can see it even now..." She sniffled, tears gathering in her dark eyes.

"When... I told you that... yes, I'd considered going back... I saw those walls go back up. I saw all the progress I never realized I'd made, get destroyed. You became cold, and distant, and judgemental- they're just... defense mechanisms to protect against pain. I know, I wear them to. I put on the mask, play in control, but as soon that door closes- you've seen me. You know how I act, how much it hurts. And you always put me back together, and I always do the same for you. I made an... honest man of you- you said it yourself, fifteen years ago. We made it official. I don't wanna miss out on us again... on... things I don't remember, stories I feel I have no narrative in, photographs I have no place in... I want... all of what I regained... and more... Zane. I love you. I_ ne_ed you, just as much as _you_ need me. We're a pair. Partners. Soul mates, if you will. Our hearts knew, long before our bodies or our minds." She licked her lips.

"You know how some people_ look_ like they're meant to be together? We were just meant to be. We belong together; we have a life, a family, so don't tell me that we aren't meant to be, that you _don't know me_, that you don't feel anything when we kiss, when we touch, when we_ look_ at each other! We were _meant_ to be together, Zane. In this-" She bit her lip. "and _every_- timeline." Her dark eyes flicked nervously to the box in her husband's hand. "So... what do you say? Will you make an... honest woman out of me?"

She watched, waited, saw him open the box. There, sat his grandmother's wedding ring- a ring she'd removed from her finger specifically for this. The ring was a symbol of everything they'd gone through, everything they'd accomplished, together. He glanced down at it, seeing all the reasons he'd slipped this onto her finger in the first place. Jo was right. Everyone in his life had at one point, turned their back on him. His father, who'd left when he turned ten; his grandmother, who'd died not long after his dad left. His life, his family, had consisted of people coming and going, often without so much as a by your leave. And if they stayed, it wasn't for very long. Usually, they left as soon as they saw a chance- leaving him hurt and wondering what he'd done wrong for them to abandon him.

Eventually, he'd tired of watching people come and go in his life, and so had turned the tables, leaving them before they could leave him. It had resulted in a string of broken relationships, friendships that turned cold and distant, and a young man, bitter for the hand he'd been dealt, struggling to keep any kind of emotion at bay, no matter who he hurt. Better to hurt them, than get hurt himself. Jo knew, that at some point in his past- long before he'd ever come to Eureka- Zane had turned his back on family, friends, loved ones. Those gorgeous blue eyes- eyes her own children possessed, eyes that everyone floundered over, and that made women go weak in the knees, eyes she luckily got to stare into every day- had, at some point, turned to stone. They'd become void of any emotion, save the manipulative kind, and hadn't turned on a woman in love, only lust. She knew that those same eyes- eyes that looked on her in love, that watched her children with tenderness and care- had hardened to everyone and everything.

Until he met her.

When they'd first met, he'd looked on her with lust- another of his conquests, the harder to attain, the greater the challenge. But when she'd put her faith in him in concerns to the big bang, she'd started to see a different side to the antisocial ubergenius. Her faith in him had not only lasted through the big bang incident, but it had stuck by his side through every major hurdle- the ice core, Kim Two Point Oh, the two suns; or, Eureka's Tatoonie, as everyone called it- and suddenly, those hard, pained, manipulative eyes had begun to soften, losing their hard edge and calming. Eventually, over the two years they'd dated, he'd finally turned his eyes on her in love; found himself opening his heart to her, and calmly waiting for rejection that never came.

And soon, he'd found himself living a life of love instead of hurt, happiness instead of pain, romance instead of bitterness. He'd married her, and they'd created babies together- and he'd watched as his wife grew heavy with their children; he'd been by her side during each push, each scream, each final moment of bone-breaking, heartstopping pain, before hearing the sweet, beautiful cry of a newborn. He'd watched with tear-filled gaze as his wife cradled their tiny creations, first Dylan, then Brookelyn, and finally Luca; stared into their beautiful blue eyes, and introduced himself as their daddy. He'd taught them how to walk, talk, read and write; watched with tender care as they blew dandilion fluff with eyes closed tight, or tried the zipline at their grandfather's house in Jersey. He'd kiss them goodnight, tuck them in, and then join his wife in bed, curling around her and tangling their fingers, sharing soft, whispered words of love.

He glanced down at the ring in his hand- that had, in a cruel twist of irony, broken and fallen. Jo had searched for it for days, before finally finding it and having it fixed, but hadn't returned it to its place on her finger. Now he knew why. It held the last, surviving piece of the_ Arizona_, had seen the war-torn streets of London, surviving the South Pacific, only for the love story to end in a backyard in Concord, Massacusetts. He glanced up at Jo; she'd been there, through everything. Since he'd come to Eureka, she'd been by his side, holding him up when he didn't have the strength, calming him when he lost his temper; believing in him, trusting him, giving him a _chance_.

And now, she knelt before him, heart on the line, balancing on the precipice of the cliff, praying that she wouldn't go over. She was going through the agony he'd gone through that long ago day. A moment passed, before he slowly closed the box. Her dark chocolate eyes filled with tears, and they shifted back and forth, gauging the distance between herself and the door. Heartbreak, pain, devestation flashed across her face, and she took a deep breath to keep from crying. A moment passed; he bit his lip, glancing up at his doppelganger. The younger man looked up from the photographs he was studying; he nodded, and suddenly, Zane saw everything he'd ever gone through in that one glance. Ever since coming to Eureka, the one consistent, unwavering thing- not the disasters that took place, not the experiments gone wrong, not the knowledge that Carter would use his 'every man logic' to save the day- was _her_.

Jo.

_She_ was the reason he was who he was now._ She_ was the reason he had fathered three of the most beautiful little girls in the small Oregon town. _She_ was the reason he had taken the position as Head of Section Five. _She_ was the reason he had stayed, all those years ago. It was her- his beloved Jojo, his beautiful Josefina- that had shaped his existence in the town. She held him in the palm of her hand; he could do anything she asked, without her having to say a word. And in return, she'd made him the luckiest man in Eureka- she'd mothered his three beautiful girls, she'd been by his side in the darkest and the lightest times, and he couldn't imagine his life without her. She was his reason for living.

"In any timeline."

He knelt, helping her to her feet. Then, he removed the fixed ring from the box, and slid it over her finger, until it rested against the wedding ring. He pulled her into a hug, burying his face in her dark hair. Her arms went tight around his neck, and she took a deep breath. "Zane-"

"I'm so sorry, for the way I acted, for everything I said-" She reached up, laying a hand over his mouth.

"Shh. I understand." She grasped a fistful of his shirt, staring into his eyes. "I love you, Zane." A soft smile tugged at his lips.

"I love you, Jojo."

Their lips met in a soft kiss- one of unending love. In truth, they had the novel romance- so deeply in love, that one was not complete without the other. They knew each others' thoughts, moods, and hearts; in a way no one else knew. It was beautiful and heartbreaking, in complete unison. Zane watched, hands in pockets.

"Are you happy, Jo?" She slowly pulled away; turned to him.

"Yes." He nodded.

"Good. That's... all I ever wanted, was to make you happy." He turned to go.

"Zane?" He turned back. The older version of himself held her tight around the waist. "I'm sorry- if I hurt you. I never meant to."

He nodded, smiling gently. "I know. We just... weren't meant for each other in our timeline- as cheesy as it sounds, it's true." She pulled away, but Zane grabbed her arm. She turned back to him, a calming look in her eyes.

"It's okay." She whispered softly, laying a hand on his cheek. She pulled away, going to his younger self- to the man she'd loved long before she ever came to this timeline. Long before she met Dylan and Brooke, had Luca... The man who'd started it all for her- had given her his heart, and who she'd cruelly destroyed in return. She reached out, taking his face in her hands. She stared into blue eyes that she got to look into every day. A small smile tugged at her lips. "You'll get here, trust me. People don't give you enough credit." She wrapped her arms around him in a hug.

He chuckled softly. "Take care of yourself, Jo. Take care of those girls and that husband of yours. If... I'm any indication, I probably just get worse with age." She chuckled in agreement, wrapping him in a tight hug after glancing over at the man she loved. A sigh escaped her lips.

"You've mellowed out _some_ since I gave birth to the girls, but... not much." She grinned. "Although, I gave birth to your spawn, and... they're _exactly_ like you. And I love them, all three of them, so much. I can't imagine my life without them. Or you."I never... pictured this for us until... that morning." She licked her lips, squeezing his hands.

"It's... amazing how... how much you want something you never realized you wanted in the first place. How..._ tight_ you hold on, when that thing you _never realized you wanted_... is put in jeopardy. Suddenly, nothing matters but... keeping that... one thing you've... grown to love... and you do everything you can to keep it safe." Tears glistened in her dark eyes, and he gently brushed them away. "I can't imagine... not having Brooke or Dylan or Luca... having them taken away would kill me... have you taken away would kill me..." She sniffled, lifting her chin. "So I'm gonna hold tight, I'm never going to let them go... I can't..."

He chuckled softly, resting his forehead against hers. "Never let them go, Jo. You hear me?" She nodded. "You're heart's always beat in one direction: Love. Don't ever let it stop." He grinned- that patented Donovan grin she loved so- and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Don't you ever, _ever_ stop."

Then, he kissed her quickly on the lips, and pulled away; their fingers lingered together briefly, before he left, casting one last glance towards his double, a small smile on his face. A moment passed, before she felt Zane's arms slowly slide around her waist, and his lips brush her hair. She reached down, taking his hand, tears in her eyes. She watched him go, the feel of his lips on hers a final, comforting goodbye.


	19. Chapter 19

**Rifiuto: Non Mirena**

"All right. How exactly... do we get back?" Everyone turned, to see Zane- or, the doppelganger, rather- saunter into the quarantine area, hands in his pockets. Allison's mouth dropped, she looked from the chamber to him and back. It didn't help matters when Jo and Zane entered, hands locked together.

"Um..."

"What's wrong, Allison? I don't think I've ever seen you speechless." Jo replied, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth as she wandered towards the two remaining chambers. Carter looked up, rushing to the glass. Jo backed up, startled. "Hi." She said, eyes wide in shock.

"Jo, you have to let us out."

"I don't have to do anything. Not for you." She replied, as her twin groaned.

"Can it, Carter!" She turned to the Head of Security. "I want you out. Out of this timeline, out of my life and back in yours." Jo cocked her head.

"I am in my timeline. This is my life, and I'm not going anywhere. I have three children to raise and a husband to love, not to mention a town to protect, and... I don't see you fitting into the equation. I fit, because I am you. A more complete you. One who... isn't clinging desperately to memories of a husband who never loved her in the first place." The other one shook her head.

"He loved me, he_ loves_ me. He always has. Nothing has changed between us. We're still the same, we'll pick up where we left off-"

"Yeah, see... there's the problem. Everything has changed. You may be the same, but he's not. He's older; he's more mature, he's grown up, he's... got another _beautiful_ little girl with me... we're happy. So, see, he's not the same. Even if _you_ haven't changed, he has. For the better. And no one, not Carter, not Zane, and _not you_, is taking him from me. Understand? Our life is too important, for you to screw it up." She stepped closer to the glass, hands behind her back, shoulders squared. She was a lioness on the hunt for the poachers who'd threatened to take her cubs from her, and the others in the pack knew not to get in her way.

"You _can't do that_! This _isn't your time, or your life or your family_! It's_ mine! You stole it from me_!" She turned from the Security Head, her dark eyes lighting on Zane. "Zane, you know me! Remember the night we conieved Dy- at Lookout Point, during the rainstorm! I... I grew up Catholic, but we had the most unconventional Catholic wedding... we had to deal with Warren Hughes before our wedding could even take place- remember, the truth-telling spray that got leaked in GD and we-" Everyone watched as the Security Head slowly reached up; suddenly, the chamber went silent as she muted her- a similiar action once done to Jo in Julia's body. No one moved to stop her, but they all watched, enthralled. Slowly, she leaned forward, her voice loud and clear, her words ominous and frightening; a terrifying threat from an Army sergeant who'd seen her fair share of traumatizing war.

"As long as _I_ am around, I will_ never_ let you near my children. And if I catch you so much as_ glancing_ towards my husband or my daughters, you will have to deal with me."

"Is that her?" Everyone turned, to see Dylan with Brooke, huddled behind their father.

"What are you girls doing here? We told you to wait in Daddy's office." Jo said, glancing behind her. Dylan licked her lips.

"We got bored. Is that really... her?" She asked, stepping closer. Zane grabbed his daughter's arm, stopping her from going any further. Dylan turned back to look at her father with wide, startled blue eyes. The look on her father's face was clear. Jo licked her lips, turning back to herself.

"I won't hesitate to kill you. Pulling the trigger is easy; it's burying the body that's hard." And then, without a backward glance, she pivoted on her heel and left.


	20. Chapter 20

**Rifiuto: Non Mirena^**

A moment passed, before Zane followed, pulling his daughters along. They both cast glances back at the quarantine chambers, before following their father. Eventually, Carter, Allison and the others followed suite, even Zane's alternate- heading to Jo's office. They found her, nervously pacing back and forth, chewing at her nails. Luca was sitting on the sofa, nervously watching her mom. She got to her feet, rushing to Zane when they entered the office. "Daddy! Something's wrong with Mommy." He scooped her into his arms.

"Jojo, honey. Sit. You need to relax." But she didn't hear him. Instead, she turned to her desk, her dark eyes scanning over everything, before she went to her desk and shoved everything off it. The girls jumped, crying out, and Carter moved to comfort her, but Zane grabbed his arm with a warning look. A moment of tense silence filled the room, before her heartbreaking sobs sliced the air, and she crumpled. It frightened the girls- frightened everyone- to see Jo, normally so strong and in control, now so weak.

"I was right. We don't fit." Her choked voice caught everyone off guard. She buried her face in her hands for a moment, before taking the engagement ring off her finger and throwing it across the room. It skittered, clattering across the wood. Slowly, everyone backed up, either sitting on the sofa or taking a chair, letting her have her moment. "There_ is no us_. Not in this... or _any_... timeline."

Zane was by her side, holding her in his arms in the blink of an eye. He rubbed her back, letting her cry. "I knew. I knew this would happen eventually. Things were going too well." He whispered against her hair. She choked out a sob, her body limp against him. He held her for several minutes, before, "We need to tell them the truth, Jojo. Before it rips us both apart." She shook her head. "Yes, Jojo. We don't have a choice now. They're my kids, they'll put the pieces together sooner or later, and once they do, they'll probably go on a hunt- they're your daughters, after all." She sniffled, and he buried his nose in her hair, before pulling away and resting his forehead against hers. "Okay?" Minutes passed, before she nodded. He whispered softly to her, helping her up.

"Tell us what, Daddy?" Dylan asked, her mind already working. Zane glanced up at her, his arms still protectively wrapped around her mother's waist. Jo pulled away, taking a seat at her desk, and pressing a palm to her forehead. "Mommy? What's going on?"

"Jojo," She looked up into her husband's eyes; he perched on the edge of her desk, his blue eyes smokey with concern. "Quick, like a bandage. It'll hurt less." He whispered, giving her strength through her own words. She nodded, sniffling. She licked her lips, thinking. How do you tell a child that you aren't the woman who gave birth to them? That you're a _different_ version of the woman who gave birth to them? How do you tell them that they've spent their entire lives calling the _wrong_ woman Mommy? How do you destroy your children's innocence, without losing their trust?

"I... I... I don't know where to start..." She licked her lips again. "I... I guess... If you want to look at this... timeline-wise," She said, crossing her arms. Her dark gaze flicked to her daughters. "Then... _timeline-wise..._ Brooke and Dylan aren't mine." The last two words were so soft, Dylan wasn't sure she'd heard correctly.

"Why are you telling us this, Jo? We know that, we were there." Allison said. Jo glanced from her friend to the girls.

"Because of them, Allison." She said, nodding towards Brooke and Dylan and Luca. "They need to know the truth."

"Not long... after Brookie turned a year old, Jo and I agreed that... when the time_ came..."_ Zane glanced at his wife, who lowered her gaze to the desk. "that we would tell them the truth about what happened. About the time travel. That we wouldn't keep this a secret from them anymore."

"I thought we could get away with it." Jo choked out, fresh tears welling. "I thought it was... far enough behind me that I wouldn't have to worry anymore. Fifteen years is... a long time to keep looking over your shoulder, and... I thought the... the threat of... of sanctioning was _behind_ me..." She pressed her palm to her forehead, a look of pain crossing her face; she got up, wandering around.

"Mommy?" She choked out a sob as Dylan spoke. "What are you talking about? What's going on? You're scaring me."

"I'm scaring myself, baby girl." She replied, her gaze landing on the photograph of her and Luca- taken months before her brother's death. Slowly, she lifted the photograph off the wall, turning to everyone as she loving traced her brother's face- forever frozen in time. _"My secret got you killed-"_ She took a deep breath, throwing the photograph towards the ground; the glass shattered, a piece striking her cheek as it exploded before her. She ignored the blood beading at the cut and running down her soft skin. Dylan got up to rush to her mom, but Allison was at her side in an instant, urging her to sit so she could take care of it.

"Mommy, what's going on? _You're not making any sense!"_ Dylan cried, tears in her eyes. Fargo was at his niece's side in minutes, holding her close and rubbing her back. Luca curled into Brooke's side, and Carter pulled both girls close.

"Jo, don't. God knows- this could tear your family apart. _Is that what you want?"_ He asked. Jo glanced up at him; a look in her eyes that scared him beyond reason.

"I'd take death at Lucifer's own lips over the pain I'm going to put my girls in, Carter. Anything but this."

"Would someone _please explain what's going on_?" Dylan cried.

"Fine." Jo stood, pushing past Allison and going to her oldest daughter. She stopped feet from her, her tears mixing with the blood on her cheek. "You want an explanation? Here's an explanation._ I'm not your mother! Okay? I'm from an alternate timeline, and that woman in the quarantine chamber is! She is your mother! She is the one who gave birth to you! To both of you! Everything she's said, is true! It's all true! There. Are you happy? Now that you know the truth_?" Tears welled in Dylan's eyes, and Brooke choked on a sob.

"You're... not my mom?" Jo nodded, eyes closed. The hurt on her oldest daughter's face would haunt her for the rest of her life. The question was so innocent... and Jo was so screwed.

"Yes. _I'm not. Your. Mom."_ She whispered, digging her nails into her palms. She could feel blood, but didn't stop.

"But... but that doesn't make sense." She didn't have to see Dylan's face to know that the girl was trying her hardest to find a different solution to the formula given her. "But... how? Why?"

"I... was trying to get back to my time, and I ended up in this one. I took her place." Jo choked out, voice shaky. "I never meant to. I was just trying to get home-"

"I don't understand." Dylan whispered, watching as Jo crumpled; the normally strong, independent woman she knew and loved now reduced to a child who'd lost her pet.

"We were trying to spare you this pain." Zane whispered, going to his wife. "We never meant to hurt you." Dylan's blue eyes flicked to him.

"Are you_ really_ my daddy?" She couldn't stop herself, nor did she want to at this point. Her voice was small, frightened, and Zane saw his baby girl, terrified of losing the only one woman she remembered; the only woman she knew as her mother. "And Brookie? And Lua?" He nodded, laying a hand on Jo's back.

"Yes, I'm your father. And Jojo is... Lua's mother." He said, nodding to his youngest. "But not yours or Brooke's. The... one in the quarantine chamber... she is your mother."

"I never meant to. I never meant to hurt anyone. I just... I was trying to get back to _my time_..._ I'm so sorry_..." He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close.

"Shh. Hush, Jojo. It's not your fault, okay? There's nothing to forgive. Okay?" A moment passed before she nodded, burying her face in his shoulder. The girls watched their parents, this new information sinking in. Eventually though,

"I don't remember." Everyone turned to Brooke, who sat twisting the end of her braid in her hand. She looked up at her parents with Zane's blue gaze. Dylan swallowed, nodding in agreement. Zane gently pushed Jo into one of the chairs in front of her desk, and went to his child. He knelt before her, taking her hands.

"You were a baby when it happened- it was a week after you were born, that she-" He stopped, glancing back at Jo, who sat with her hands pressed to her mouth, her back straight. "that Mommy showed up and took her place." He glanced down at his child's small hands, realizing how much they looked like hers, and after a moment, he pressed a kiss to both, tears in his eyes. "Mommy turned herself in at one point. Went to Great-Uncle Theo and Uncle Luca and... turned herself in as a time traveler. But... he let her go. Told her to go home and raise her babies and keep her mouth shut. And she did."

"So... she's not really our mom?" Brooke asked. Zane nodded, reaching out and taking Dylan's hand as well.

"She... didn't give birth to either you or Dy, but she loves you just the same. And... deep down, she's _still_ Mommy, just... from another universe. That doesn't mean that you need to hate her or stop loving her any less; I love Mommy more for it, actually."

"Why?" Brooke asked, confused.

"Because no matter where she's from, no matter what timeline or universe, she's still Mommy, deep down. She still loves me, and loves you girls, and loves Eureka. She still belongs to us, no matter where she comes from or what timeline she started in. Mommy is _still_ Mommy, and she loves us all very much. There isn't a universe or timeline where I don't end up with Mommy and we don't have you. It's written in the stars. All of this- Eureka, you, Mommy and I- was destined before time even began. Mommy belongs to us, she always will, and I will do _everything_ I can to keep her with us. Okay?" Brooke nodded, wrapping her arms around Zane's neck. She rested her head on his shoulder, and Zane breathed in the familiar scent of his daughter.

Dylan watched with tears in her eyes, before turning to Jo. She took a deep breath; it hurt, the depth of her mom's betrayal.


	21. Chapter 21

******Rifiuto: Non Mirena**

She was going insane. She didn't know how long she'd been stuck in this chamber, but if they didn't let her out soon, she'd snap. And most likely kill the woman who'd taken her life from her. "Why is it Zane gets to be let out, but we don't?"

"Because your pain-in-the-ass boyfriend is playing the innocent card."

"He's_ not_ my boyfriend, he's_ hers._" She spat the word out, it left a bad taste in her mouth. "Just like the man she's married to is _my_ husband."

"And you're my mom." Both looked up, to see a teenager standing before them, clutching a worn teddy bear in a Spanish skirt and peasant blouse. Tears coursed down her cheeks, and she sniffled, her eyes red. Jo was on her feet in an instant. She stopped at the glass, her dark eyes drinking in the girl who'd only been a mere child of four when she'd been transported to the alternate timeline. If her calculations were correct, then this one was Dylan, and that mean that-

"But I don't understand. You look and sound just like her."

That she was fourteen. No, it... it _couldn't_ be.

But as she looked at the girl, she realized that it was true- her baby girl, the innocent little four-year-old who'd been eagerly helping her parents take care of her newborn baby sister, was grown up. She was a teenager now, had been raised by an alternate version of her mother, someone she obviously loved very much. But... did that mean that Zane loved this alternate her just as much, if not more?

"You're my child." She choked out, tears in her eyes. Dylan licked her lips, stepping forward. "You... you're my little girl and... and you've grown up so much... did she treat you okay? She didn't hurt you, did she?" Dylan shook her head.

"No. She loves me, and Brookie and Lua, and Daddy."

"Lua?" Dylan nodded.

"My baby sister. She was born when I was seven." Silence fell between them, before Jo asked,

"She's not your mother. I am. Don't you know that?" Dylan sniffled.

"Daddy said that... that when she came to this timeline, she took your place and you went away. He said that... that no matter what time she's from, she's still Mommy and she still loves us." Jo shook her head.

"No. She's not your mother._ I am_." Jo reached out, fingers brushing the glass, but Dylan pulled away. "You know that baby, right? I'm your mother. I love you more than she ever could. You know that? I'm your mother!" Dylan shook her head.

"No, you're not!"

"Yes, I am, baby girl! It's me, it's Mommy! I'm back and I'll never leave you again, I promise. I'm back for good. And once we get rid of her, we can all go back to our lives-" Dylan covered her ears, eyes shut tight.

"_SHUT UP! You're not my mother! You're not Mommy! I don't know you!"_ Jo shook her head.

"Yes, you do, Dy. You remember me, I know you do-" The child shook her head, covering her ears and shutting her eyes tight. "You remember me teaching you to read, helping you make cookies for Uncle Carter's Christmas party, you remember Daddy and I taking the training wheels off your bike and the visits to the infirmary before Brookie was born- I know you do, I can see it."

_"STOP IT! SHUT UP!"_ Tears slid down her cheeks and she shook her head violently, her teddy bear dropping to the floor. Jo's dark eyes instantly landed on the bear.

"Is... is that..." Her breath caught in her throat, as images of Clarissa pressing a familiar looking bear in a black skirt into her small arms before turning out the light. "Is that my mom's bear?" Her gaze moved back to the girl, as she whispered, "Luca gave me that bear the night you were born. Came in and... told me he'd... picked it up in Barcelona...there was a locket around its neck... you were so tiny... with... with Daddy's beautiful blue eyes, and I... I stared into your face and... wondered how I could fall in love all over again..."

Dylan shook her head._ "It's not true! SHUT UP!"_ She dug her fingers into her hair, shaking her head, crumpling to the ground as the woman talked. None of this was true, it couldn't be. But... but her parents had... and... and Uncle Carter...

Uncle Carter had... along with Auntie Allison and Aunt Grace, Uncle Henry and Uncle Fargo...

They'd all backed them up. They'd lied to them, for years. _Lied_ and expected them to just move on with their lives like they had.

Jo stopped, watching as her child crumpled. Tears filled her eyes as the girl broke down, nothing but hearwrenching sobs filling the silence. Minutes passed, before she turned from the girl, unable to watch her daughter suffer a nervous breakdown. Eventually, Dylan stood, grabbing her teddy bear and wiping the tears off her cheeks. She turned to the guards. "Let them out." Jo's head snapped up.

"What?"

"We can't, Ms." One of the guard started. "Not without Chief Donov-"

_"Chief Donovan,_" She spat the words, her voice hoarse. _"is my mother."_ She took a deep breath, composing herself like she'd seen her mother do. "Now let them out."

The guards exchanged glances before doing as told- both had, at one time, been on the recieving end of their boss's sharp, forked tongue, and so knew not to cross her when she was in ill temper. Obviously, her daughter had inherited her mother's stickling for the rules. Though she possessed the bright blue eyes of the Director of Section Five- anyone, within a five mile radius could recognize the Donovan girls- she had the Chief's almost rigid disposition; a disposition they had only seen relax when she was in the company of her husband. All agreed that the pair made a striking couple, and their polar opposite personalities complimented together nicely, yet no one could understand how such beautiful daughters- particularly the oldest- could possess such a streak as her mother possessed. All they knew, was that right now was not the time to piss off the daughter of the Head of Security, so they scurried to their task.

Once the doors slid closed behind them, Jo went to Dylan, reaching out to lift her chin. "Thank you, sweetheart." She stopped, hearing voices. Dylan nodded towards a doorway behind them. Carter grabbed Jo's hand, pulling her along. "I love you." And without another word, they were gone, just as Zane and Jo entered, the others in tow, arguing about what to do with the two left in quarantine.

"We need to-" Jo stopped, her dark eyes going first from one chamber and then the other. She moved past Zane, mouth dropping in shock. "Where did they go?" She slowly turned to the guards, her pretty features twisting into a look of absolute rage. _"I told you not to release them until I gave the order!"_ She roared, going to the man nearest her. He held up his gun, but Jo pushed it aside, grabbing the front of his shirt. "And _who_, may_ I ask_, ordered you to release them?"

"Your daughter, Chief." Jo pulld away from the man, turning her dark gaze to her Dylan, who slowly looked up.

"_You_ gave the order?" Dylan nodded at her mother's incredulous look.

"Yes, Ma'am." Dylan whispered, head high. Slowly, Jo made her way towards her child. Zane flinched as flesh met flesh. He'd never seen Jo raise a hand to anyone- especially not in his timeline, but here, he didn't blame her. And perhaps, on some level, the child deserved it.

"This is _my facility. Not yours_." She growled, before turning on her heel and leaving through the small, parted group, Dylan's soft sobs following.


	22. Chapter 22

******Rifiuto: Non Mirena^**

She padded softly into the kitchen, being careful not to wake the occupants of the rooms upstairs. She steeped a pot of tea, humming her mom's lullaby softly to herself, unaware of the presence behind her. As she reached for the sugar-

The firm grip of a hand clamped around her throat, shutting her vocal chords and catching the song in her throat. A man's soft, possessive growl caressed her ear, and she struggled to breathe, reaching up to grasp the hand just beneath her chin. "I told you to stay away from my family. What _part_ of that _didn't you understand_?"

"Zane! It's me, babe!"

She choked out an unintelligible reply, clawing at the hand at her throat. The Section Five Director shoved her against the island, ramming his hand further up her throat, until she couldn't speak. "Zane-" She clawed frantically at his hand, but he held strong. "Za-" She reached frantically for something on the counter; her fingers curled around the spoon, and with one last ditch effort, she drove the handle's edge into the back of his hand, hitting the space between the bones. He yelp and released her, the spoon clattered to the counter, and she greedily sucked in air.

"You little-" She turned to her husband, hand at her throat.

"Thanks... to you... I'm seeing stars..." A moment passed, "AIDA... lights... please." Slowly, the lights turned on, revealing his wife. It took a few minutes for Zane's vision to readjust to the light, but eventually he stammered,

"J..._ Jojo_?" She nodded.

"Yeah."

"Wh... what are you doing down here?"

"I was fixing a cup of tea, but I got interrupted by your hand cutting off my air supply." She rubbed her throat, and he swallowed, going to her.

"I'm so sorry, Jojo. I didn't know. You didn't say anything-"

"I tried, you cut me off." He sighed. "What are you doing up anyway?"

"I heard someone downstairs. I thought... I thought it was..."

"Her." She whispered. He nodded.

"Yeah." She coughed, rubbing her throat, casting a quick glance his way. "Okay, no more Aikido for you." She swallowed, rubbing at her neck; there was sure to be a bruise in the morning- and if so, she'd kill him. His soft chuckle brought her head snapping back to stare at him. "What's so funny?"

"It's not Aikido, babe. It's Jujutsu- Judo to be exact." She swallowed again, locking eyes with him.

"Well whichever one it is, no more. Not for a while, anyway." He sighed, going to her and wrapping his arms around her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know it was you. I thought... I thought it was her- that she was... coming to take the girls away or... hurt you or... I... I reacted on instinct only. The _only_ thought running through my head was that I needed to protect you and our daughters-" She nodded.

"Fight or flight. I know. Well, on the bright side, you chose to fight... at least you have us in mind." He sighed deeply, resting his forehead against hers, eyes closed. She reached up, cradling his head in her hands, brushing away the tears with her thumbs, before wrapping her arms around his neck. "I know, babe. You're protecting us, you have nothing to be ashamed of." He nodded in understanding, nudging his nose against hers, before pressing a kiss to her lips. She tucked her head under his chin, feeling him sigh as he ran his hands up and down her back.

"I can't believe-"

"Believe what, sweetheart?" She asked, tangling her fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck. He sighed.

"That this is... really happening." She buried her face in his chest, breathing him in. "It doesn't seem real. I... I keep expecting to... to wake up and find that it was all a bad dream." She nodded.

"So do I." They settled into comfortable silence, becoming lost in thought, until the soft sound of footfalls brought their attention elsewhere. Luca stood in the kitchen, in her nightgown, grasping her teddy bear to her chest, her long black hair pulled back in a braid. "Luca? What's wrong, baby?" The child didn't say anything; she rushed to Zane, throwing herself into his arms. He stumbled back as his youngest wrapped her small legs and arms around his waist and neck, burying her face in his shoulder. "You can tell us, baby."

"She had a nightmare." Jo's head snapped towards her two oldest; both stood in their pajamas, both held tight to stuffed animals. Brooke threw herself into Jo's arms, tucking her head into the crook of Jo's shoulder. She wrapped her arms around her daughter, tangling her fingers in the two loose ponytails falling down her daughter's back.

"What kind of nightmare, sweetie? You can tell Daddy and I, you know that." Brooke pulled away, reaching up to wipe her eyes. Gently, Jo brushed flyaway strands away from her child's eyes. "What was your nightmare about, baby?"

"She took you away and... and got rid of you and... and took your place... don't go away, Mommy!" Brooke burrowed into Jo's arms again, and the older woman glanced at her oldest daughter. Dylan turned away from her, refusing to meet her gaze.

"Oh, baby," Jo pulled away, staring into her daughter's blue eyes.

"No one's going anywhere." Zane said, pulling away to stare into his youngest daughter's eyes. "Okay? Mommy's staying right here." He set Luca back on her feet, and then with a kiss to her forehead, pushed her gently back towards the stairs. "Go back to bed, babies. We'll be right here. We aren't going anywhere." Brooke nodded, taking Luca's hand and leading her back upstairs. The couple shared a quick look, before turning back to see Dylan still in the kitchen. "What's wrong, baby girl?" Zane asked, going to his wife and laying a hand on her back. Dylan swallowed, before glancing at her mom.

'You can tell us, baby. You can trust us." Jo whispered. She saw Dylan's blue eyes darken to a smokey colbalt, before she spun on her heel and stormed back upstairs. Her door slammed, and Jo turned to her husband. "She hates me." Zane sighed, wrapping her in his arms.

"She'll get over it, Jojo. Give her time."


	23. Chapter 23

******Rifiuto: Non Mirena**

Zane looked up. "You need to get some sleep, Zane. If we're going to get you back to your time-"

"Can't sleep. But... thanks, Henry." The older man nodded. He clapped a hand on Zane's shoulder, turning to go back to bed, but stopped.

"Something bothering you?" Zane shook his head. "Zane, let's talk."

"Henry? Something wrong?" Both turned to see Grace enter. Seeing something wrong, she instantly poured three cups of coffee, pushed one into first Henry's hands and then Zane's, and then sat down across from the two. "Something's wrong. What is it?" She asked. The younger man sighed.

I... I just... couldn't imagine losing her, you know?" He said, glancing from first Grace, and then to Henry. "BUt I lost her anyhow..." He sighed. "Can you imagine how hard it is to compete with yourself?" Henry chuckled.

"You're not competing with yourself, you're just... seeing yourself in a new light, Zane." The younger man blushed.

"I... I just... I never knew that... that this was... in my future. And then... and then I proposed and she... she hesitated and... and then _she_-" He cringed at the word. "showed up. She... she's lost it. Completely lost it. She's... so concerned with getting this life back that... that she can't see the life that's right in front of her."

Henry glanced at his wife. A moment passed, before Grace reached out and took Henry's hand, squeezing softly. Zane watched the pair, feeling a pained flutter tug at his heart. He remembered a time when he and Jo had shared looks like that over the table of Cafe Diem. The sight of her warm chocolate eyes had held the answers to the universe, and he hadn't needed to look anywhere else to know where his future lay. But they'd never gotten this chance-

"Zane, Jo has been under a lot of stress-"

"Yeah, trying to get back to her old life. But her old life is gone! My Jo took her place-"

"And that... doesn't upset you?" Grace asked. Zane shook his head.

"No. She... she's happy here. How could I take that from her? She's got a life and a family- I can't ruin that. And she understands."

"And... the other one doesn't?" Henry asked.

"No. She just sees... sees her as the thing standing in her way to getting her life back. But it's not her life anymore." Henry and Grace shared a quick glance.

"Go to bed, Zane. Get some sleep. Thing's will look better in the morning." Henry said, getting up and patting the younger man on the back.


	24. Chapter 24

******Rifiuto: Non Mirena^**

Zane sighed, grabbing a wrench and laying on his back to fix the problem in the harddrive that controlled his PALs. "An explosion outside Cafe Diem? You see directions, details, injuries?" Jo nodded, watching her husband.

"Some." She whispered. "But it happened fast. ANd I haven't had a reading from your PALs since." Zane sighed,

"Yeah, because since Carter's PALs went online," Zane said, grabbing something else and returning to his back. "something's overtaxing the system." He glanced at his wife. "I just gotta figure out what." He siad, turning to the wires over his head.

"Well do it fast, babe. We don't have much time."

"Where have I heard that before?" He asked; her head snapped up.

"Just fix the lenses, Zane, before someone gets hurt. _Please_." He sighed, dropping the screwdriver and picking up another wrench.

"Whatever you say, Jojo." She sighed, taking a seat on the landing. Silence fell as she watched her husband work- he worked on repairs for his experiments with the same gentleness that he'd held their children after birth. She took a deep breath.

"Fargo has something to tell you both." The Donovans looked up as Carter, Henry and Fargo entered the lab. The couple were on their feet, Zane grabbing a tablet, Jo going to the trio. She turned to Fargo, but didn't miss the glance Carter threw her.

"What?" She asked. The sheriff shook his head.

"Nothng, Jo." She nodded, going to her husband.

"What did you want to tell us, Fargo?" She asked, turning to Fargo. The Level Eight head put his hands in his pockets.

"I may have used a pair of PALS for personal use." Zane stopped tapping on his tablet.

_"What?"_ He whined softly, leaning against the railing surrounding the circle in the middle of the lab floor. "Man, no wonder the systems crashing! It's only meant to _support two pair at a time!"_ Zane snapped, going towards the platform, the others following.

"You could have said that in your demonstration!" Fargo countered.

"The core's overheating because the system's trying to process too much information!" Zane said, setting his tablet down, hearing his wife's hand come in contact with the back of Fargo's head.

_"Take them off, Fargo!"_ She growled.

_"Well, that's it! The PALs are offline! "_ Zane snapped, going to the harddrive.

"For how long?" Carter asked.

"Maybe for good." Zane replied, getting down onto the floor and shifting onto his back to fix the harddrive.

"See what you did?" Jo snapped.

"What's the big deal?" Fargo asked. Jo growled softly.

"Main Street is about to be leveled and_ the PALs_ were the only thing that could show us how!" She said, gesturing to Zane's harddrive.

"You could have told me!" He replied, glancing at Henry, who shook his head, but let the Head of Security take care of it instead of stepping in.

"We have no idea if what we saw is going to happen-" Jo cut Carter off.

"My husband could die!"

_"What?" _Everyone turned at the sound of Zane slamming his head against the bottom of the harddrive he was under. "Ow, damn it!" The younger man stared at them, confusion in his blue eyes, but Jo's eyes were glued to the bleeding scrape on her husband's forehead. "What are you all staring at?"

Twenty minutes later, Allison was trying to patch Zane up, even as he chewed his wife out.

"How could you not tell me, Lupo?" She sighed; usually when he used her maiden name, it was when he was _really_ pissed at her. She sighed,

"I was going to, Zane. I just..."

"When you finally got around to it?" He asked, moving to get up and go to her.

"Would you hold still, please?" Allison demanded, shoving him back into the chair.

"Right, because I wouldn't want to get an infection before I get blown into a billion pieces!" Zane snapped, turning to his wife, as Allison disinfected the scrape.

"You two can kill each other later, we have less than ninety minutes." Carter cut in. The younger man sighed.

"I'll pull the harddrive. Maybe we can figure this out before anything happens." He got off the chair, going back to the computer, Jo following. Ten minutes later, Jo was rushing back from Henry's rendering of the explosion to his lab. Zane was connecting the generator to the motherboard, and once done explaining, he turned to her. "You see, Jojo? See? _This_ is called sharing information."

"Listen, I'm sorry I didn't tell you what we saw, but I... I didn't know how to handle the possibility that my husband might die!" She snapped.

"Zane, the PALs system is is predicting its own failure. It's gonna explode-"Carter finished, leaning over the railing near the computer to look at the molten lava-flames rising towards them.

"You don't say." Zane muttered softly, glancing at Carter. Jo sighed, taking a deep breath.

"We're running out of time." Jo said, as Zane moved around to the other side of the railing. "So how do we cool it down?"

"Liquid helium might work... or that could trigger a larger explosion." Jo sighed. Carter grabbed his phone; he listened for several minutes.

"I'll be right there, Rowley." He shut off the phone, turning to Jo. "Okay, Zane-"

"Don't worry, Carter, we'll get out. Go." Jo said, pushing Carter towards the steps. He nodded, rushing off, glancing back to see the pair who he looked on as his children, still standing on the platform.

"You should go." Jo turned back to her husband.

"I'm not going anywhere, Zane. We can figure this out together. We're a team." She said, as he moved around her to mess with a few more nodes. He looked at her, taking a deep breath.

"Where the hell is it?" Zane demanded. He groaned after a moment, going back to the main computer system. "We're gonna have to open that valve manually after I bipass the security gate." Zane siad, once they realized that hte dormancy gel Fargo had sent hadn't entered the core yet. She nodded.

"Got it! I'm on it, Zane." She said, shutting off her phone and rushing towards the ladder at hte toher side. She unlocked the gate's chain, and climbed dwon the ladder.

"Careful, Jo. I'm right behind you." SHe ignored him, unitl she reached the closest pipe. Her foot landed atop as she moved step by step towards the valve. "Hurry up, Jo. Pressure's building." She glanced back towards her husband, before reaching out; it took all the strength she had to hold onto the pipe she was grasping with one hand and pull the valve oepn with hte other, but eventually, she heard the rush as the gel flowed into the core. _Something tells me this was a bad day to wear heels._

_"It's working! Zane!"_ She didn't see her husband leaning over the computer, but she heard the fear in his voice.

_"Lupo, get out of there!"_ She took a deep breath, struggling to pull herself up the pipe, but she couldn't hold on for the steam-

_"I can't! The steam's too hot!"_ Her grip began to loosen, and she struggled to climb up even as her feet lost their footing and she slid down the pipe. _"Zane!"_ She looked up, the steam briefly obscured her view, and she struggled to pull herself up the pipe. _"Zane, where are you?"_ Her thoughts instantly turned to her family. _I can't leave my babies like this... _When she looked up next, her husband was leaning over the edge, holding a hand out to her.

"Come on, Jojo!" She forced herself up the pipe again, reaching for his outstretched hand. "I got you!" Nothing felt so good as his hand in hers, and she struggled to pull herself up, she even found herself relishing in the feel of his other hand grasping the back of her jacket as he pulled her up and over the edge. They rolled, tumbling over one another as the core cooled, and she found herself looking up into her husband's blue eyes once they'd finally stopped, his body protectively against hers, as she reached up grasp his arm.

"Thank you for being there for me." She said once she was able to catch her breath. He nodded.

"My pleasure, Jojo." Then, he leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. When their friends found them half an hour later, they were making their way down to the infirmary- Jo had suffered minor burns from the steam in the core, and Allison immediately started working on them. Making sure she was in good hands, Carter pulled Zane and Henry to the side. He turned to the younger man.

"Zane, I..."

"What is it, Carter?" Zane's blue gaze briefly left his wife and flicked towards the sheriff, who sighed.

"I... look..." He stopped, feeling the full extent of the younger man's stare now.

"Carter, I came exceedingly close to losing my wife and the mother of my children today. So if you have something to tell me, tell me. If not, I'm gonna go sit with Jo." He moved to leave, when Henry grabbed his arm.

"Zane, you need to hear this, it's important." Slowly, the younger man turned to the director, crossing his arms.

"What is it?" Carter took a deep breath, glancing at Henry. A moment passed, before he put his hands in his pockets and looked at Zane.

"Zane, earlier today... before the PALs went offline... I... I saw..." He glanced back at Jo and Allison. "I saw Jo..." He swallowed against the sick feeling rising in his stomach. "being murdered."


	25. Chapter 25

******Rifiuto: Non Mirena**

She looked around. The small cul-de-sac was silent; Eurekians were tucked up tight in their beds. A moment passed, before she moved down the street, her gaze finally landing on the mailbox number she was looking for:

_4020 Corolis Loop_

Perfect.

She moved towards the front walk, only to stop at the feel of a hand on her arm. Instantly, she turned, to find herself staring into Carter's eyes. "What the fuck are you doing out here?" She snapped.

"I could ask you the same thing." He replied. A moment passed, before he took a deep breath. "Look, I've been tailing Zane all day."

"So? He turned traitor. He doesn't concern us anymore." She replied, pulling away from him and moving up the walk.

"He's with them- on their side. There... was an accident at GD- it nearly killed her-" She couldn't help the smile that appeared.

"Good. The quicker she's gone, the quicker I can get back to my life."

"And him."

_"What?"_ She demanded, turning back to him.

"It nearly killed them both." He said, slower, as though talking to a child. "And the only reason she survived, is because he saved her. They worked together- apparently, they're quite the team." She shook her head.

"No. No, this isn't... she's not_ supposed_ to be around... Something is supposed to happen to her, and... and he's supposed to come back to_ me_... _I'm his wife_!" She cried, but Carter grabbed her around the waist, throwing them into the bushes. He clamped a hand over her mouth, and they watched, as the pair in question came out on the porch. She leaned against the railing, turning as he laid a hand on her shoulder.

_"... I almost lost you..."_

_"... you didn't..."_

_"... If I'd lost you..."_

_"... you'd swear off other women for the rest of your days..."_

His soft chuckle reached their ears, and they watched as he leaned down, capturing her lips in a deep, searching kiss. Her arms went around his neck, and he pulled her until her small body was flush against his, one hand tangling in her hair. She slowly moved to pull away, but he pulled her back, deepening the kiss. They watched as the kiss grew heated, as he lifted her onto the railing, before positioning himself between her legs and holding her to him. The sight of her against him made Jo sick, and she turned, struggling to remain calm, as tears slid down her cheeks.

Carter turned to Jo, reaching out to lay a hand on her arm. "I'm so sorry, Jo." She took a deep, shaky breath.

"I have to stop them. I... I have to stop her." She moved to stand, but Carter grabbed her arm, pulling her back down.

"Jo, stop. You can't go up there and stop them! If you go barreling onto their front porch, she's gonna either arrest you or kill you."


	26. Chapter 26

******Rifiuto: Non Mirena^**

The bag swung back towards him, and he took another swing at it. His fist hit the black bag once more, and as it swung back towards him, he glanced towards the stairs. Although, the small gym- next to Jo's martial arts dojo- was soundproof, much like the firing range and his lab, he still didn't want to risk waking Jo or the girls. They'd put the small gym into the last vacant room of the four in their basement. Jo's dojo and firing range had been added not long after she moved to Eureka, and his lab had been added not long after he and Jo got engaged. The gym was the last to be added- of which Zane was entirely grateful for now.

He stopped to catch his breath, taking a sip of his water before putting his headphones back in his ears and turning the music up. He became so absorbed in his boxing practice, with The Talking Heads's _Once In A Lifetime_ blaring in his ears, that he didn't hear the footsteps on the stairs. He didn't hear the steps on the stairs anyway, but he also didn't hear the glass door sliding open. When he looked up next, Jo was leaning against the far wall, watching her husband. A moment passed, before she pushed herself away from the wall, and went to him, grabbing the punching bag as it swung towards her.

"You're up early, babe." She said. Zane's blue eyes took in the plaid pajama bottoms and the dark blue tank top she wore. "Go for an early run?" He nodded, pulling the headphones from his ears. "At two in the morning?"

"Couldn't sleep. Girls still in bed?" She nodded.

"Sleeping like the babies they were once." She said; he chuckled softly, turning off his ipod and put it on the bench. He took another swing at the bag, and she stepped up to it, holding it steady. "Lead with the jab, then the cross. Jab is the canopener, the cross is the spoon." She instructed gently. He did as told, trying out her suggestion.

"I didn't know you boxed, Jojo." He said, grabbing onto the bag and leaning around it to stare at her. She shrugged.

"Not since flight school. Twenty-eight and oh, six by knockout." He raised his eyebrows.

"Knockout? I bet." She blushed. He tried it again, and after a moment, she cut in.

"Hey, Rocky, what do you say we hit the showers? I don't know about you, but I could sure use the company." She pulled away, going to the door. She heard her husband take the gloves off and return them to their place on the shelf, before he followed. "So, you coming or not?" She jumped as he smacked her gently on the ass, stealing a kiss in the process.

"Come on, babe." She turned to him.

"So I take it you're coming?" She asked, walking backwards towards the stairs. He smirked.

"Me? Miss a shower with you as my company? Not for all of Vincent's vinspresso." Then, he grabbed her hand, pulling her upstairs. "Come on, babe. Showers, now!" She followed, willingly. Once the bedroom door was closed behind them, she captured his lips in hers as he undressed her. She only let him release her lips as he pulled her into the bathroom and started the shower. Once the shower door was closed, she wrapped her arms around his waist, staring up at him.

"I love you, Zane." He grinned, kissing her quickly. His blue eyes roved over her body, following the water droplets as they rolled down her skin. A moment passed before he reached out and ran his fingers lightly over her water-soaked body, watching the goosebumps rise on her soft, cinnamon-colored flesh. He kissed her again, pulling her close, until their bodies melded together in that wonderful way they had. Her soft curves fit perfectly against his hard planes, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. She squeaked against his mouth as one strong hand slid down to cup her firm, taut ass.

"I absolutely love your body." He whispered, his blue eyes dancing as he pulled away from the kiss. She grinned, wrinkling her nose as her dark eyes sparked.

"And I love yours." She replied, one hand snaking down his body to return the favor. She nuzzled against him, breathing her husband in as they let their heart rates return to normal. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, before pulling away and washing up. By the time they were both out of the shower, Zane's thoughts had returned to the last few hours. He could kill Dylan for tricking the security personnel into letting the lunatic go, but forced himself to take a deep breath and remember that Dylan was his child- a little girl, who'd just been handed the biggest secret of her life, and hadn't known how to handle it. She'd released the two to get back and them for lying to her and her sisters, for keeping them in the dark for nearly fifteen years. "You're thinking deep, complicated thoughts." He turned, staring into Jo's dark eyes. She wrapped an arm around his neck from behind, and on instinct, he grabbed her and pulled her into his lap. "What are you thinking about?"

He sighed, grabbing her hand as her thumb worked over his lower lip. He pressed a kiss to her palm, before capturing her lips in a gentle kiss. "Nothing, babe. Nothing important." He stood, pulling her to her feet. "So, shall we?" She cocked her head. "Wake the girls? It's nearly five, and you know it takes at least an hour and a half to get them up and dressed." He patted her hip, before setting her on her feet and getting up. Then, he grabbed her hand, pulling her into hallway and going to Dylan's room. He knocked softly. "Dy? Baby, time to get up." He slipped into the room; Jo stayed in the doorway, watching. Her husband moved around to the side of the bed, gently shaking his oldest daughter's shoulder. "Come on, baby girl. Rise and shine." The child groaned, smacking her father's hand away. Zane sighed. "Fine, but if you don't get up in time, you'll be walking to Tesla." He rolled his eyes, going to Jo and tugging her into the hallway.

"So she's obviously still not happy with us." Jo muttered, as they moved to Brooke's room. Zane nodded, pushing the door to his middle child's room open.

"Hmm. Brookie? Time to get up, baby." They watched as the child sat up, rubbing the sleep from her blue eyes.

"Daddy?" Zane chuckled softly, going to his middle daughter.

"Up, baby girl. Come on, let's go." He ruffled Brooke's dark hair, before going back to the door. "Brookie! Now!" Jo rolled her eyes as she followed her husband to their youngest daughter's room- unlike her sisters, Luca was already awake and dressed. "Ah, so we don't have to drag you out of bed, like we do your sisters." The child sniffled. "Lua, what's wrong, baby girl?" Zane went to his daughter, taking a seat beside her on the bed. The child turned tear-filled blue eyes to her father.

"They took Mommy away." Zane glanced at Jo, who shrugged.

"Who, baby? Who took Mommy?" He asked, turning back to his child. Luca bit her lip.

"Her and Uncle Carter."


	27. Chapter 27

******Rifiuto: Non Mirena**

There she was. The long, plaited black hair was hard to miss in a sea of brown, blonde and the occasional red. With her messenger bag slung over her shoulder, and her leather jacket hanging open on her small frame, Jo could recognize her oldest child- even after all this time away. The girl had Zane's beautiful blue eyes, and her own black hair; she was by far the most beautiful child at Tesla. Taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and made her way towards the girl and her friends.

"Oh, hi Mrs. Donovan." She gave the other girls a small smile and a quick nod, as Dylan turned.

"Um... M... Mama? Wh... what are you... you're supposed to be at work... did... did something happen to Daddy?" Though she was still upset with her parents for lying to her and her sisters, the possibility that either Jo or Zane could have gotten hurt still frightened her; they were still her parents, after all, no matter the lies they told. Jo shook her head.

"No! No, your... Daddy's fine. I just figured... I'd pick you up from school early. We can... go get lunch and... talk." She licked her lips, letting her words sink in as Dylan regarded her. A moment passed, before the girl nodded.

"O... okay." She glanced back at her friends. "Wh... what about my... sisters..." Jo thought a moment.

"They'll be fine. Daddy will come get them- and he told me that if he can't make it, then Uncle Carter will pick them up. Okay?" Dylan nodded, turning and waving to her friends, as Jo slipped an arm around her daughter's waist and guided her from the school. A moment passed, before the teen looked around.

"Where's your car, Mama?" She bit her lip, turning to her child.

"I had... Rowley drop me off. I... figured we could walk down to Cafe Diem. That... maybe the fresh air would... do us good." She didn't noticed the girl glanced back towards the school, before following. They walked for several minutes, before Jo asked, "So... how... how was school?" Dylan shrugged.

"Okay, I guess. It's school." Jo nodded.

"And... how're your friends?" Dylan turned to her, a look similar to one Zane usually wore in regards to Carter gracing her pretty features.

"They're... fine. You see them almost every day, remember?" Jo nodded.

"Right. I... I"m sorry, sweetie, it's just... it's been a long day. Work was... more stressful than usual." She put her hands in her pockets. "So... any boyfriends? Love interests? Crushes?" Dylan stopped; struggling to process what her mom was asking.

"Ah... um... no. You and Daddy won't let me date, remember? Not until I'm thirty." Jo snorted, rolling her eyes.

"Why would we set that rule? It's completely ridiculous. You're a smart girl, you won't get yourself into any situation you can't handle. You've got a level head on your shoulders-"

"That's always been the rule. Don't you remember?" Jo nodded, giving her a tense smile.

"Right, sorry, I... I forgot."

"Mommy are you sure you're okay? Maybe... maybe we need to go to the infirmary. Auntie Allison can check on you." Jo shook her head. It was then that Dylan finally looked around. They were in one of the fields Dr. Leonardo used to teach Herbology and Botany, only about a mile from Tesla. Dylan could see one of Dr. Leonardo's greenhouses not a hundred steps away. "Wh... what are we doing in Dr. Leo's outdoor lab?" She slowly turned to Jo. "Mommy? Why are we here?"

"No. No, I... I don't need to go to the infirmary! I'm fine!" She cried, grabbing Dylan's hands, but the girl struggled to pull away. "Trust me, I'm fine!"

"Mommy, you're scaring me!"

"You have to trust me, Dylan! I'm your mother! I... I know you don't remember, and I know that you've grown up with... with that woman in my place, but... but I'm back now, baby. I'm back and once Carter takes care of her, we can go back to being a family. I can raise you and your sister like I was supposed to. Once she's gone, we will be a family again- just you, and me, and Brookie and Daddy. Okay?" Jo asked, holding the girl's face in her hands. Dylan stopped struggling, the woman's words exploding like a bomb.

"What? No. We are a family! The five of us! We always have been, and I... I didn't see it... they... they were..." _We never meant to hurt you._ Her blue eyes widened in realization as she whispered, "They were tryng to protect us... all this time... they lied to... to protect us... to..." She stared into Jo's dark eyes, suddenly seeing the woman for what she was- a lunatic, grasping desperately to the frayed threads of what had- at one time- been her life. "You aren't my mother." Jo started, confused.

"What?"

"You aren't my mother! You _aren't. My. Mother_!" Dylan cried, shoving her as hard as she could. The impact sent Jo onto her back, giving the girl time to dash towards the greenhouse. She grabbed the handle, only to find it locked. "Dr. Leonardo! Dr. Leo! Dr. Leo! Opne the door!" She glanced behind her; Jo had managed to climb to her feet, and was stumbling towards her, determined.

"Your_ mother_ has given me enough grief." She grabbed Dylan, yanking her back in a chokehold. "When I find her, there won't be anything _left_ for your _precious_ Daddy to bury." The girl cried out at the feel of cold metal against her skin, and as the door to the greenhouse began to open, Jo shoved her to the grass, dashing out of sight.

"What's going on, I- Dylan Donovan? Oh God, Dylan!" Jo watched from her hiding place as Maria Leonardo rushed towards the teenager, helping her up. The blonde-haired botanist wrapped an arm around the girl's waist, helping her into the greenhouse. Once the door closed behind them, Jo took a deep breath, and pocketed the small pocket knife she'd knicked from God knew where. Then, she rushed off; Carter would be waiting for her.


	28. Chapter 28

******Rifiuto: Non Mirena^ **

"She's not just a child, Jojo- she's _our_ child. She had a nightmare, and instead of coming and getting us, she suffered it alone. We promised when they were born that we'd be there to protect them, and _we failed_."

"Zane, it was _one nightmare_! It's not something to get so upset about! It's not like they're going to come true!" She said, grabbing his arm and stopping him. He turned to her, his blue eyes shifting to a stormy colbalt. She sighed, reaching up and gently tugging on the lapels of his jacket. "Look, I'm not saying that we should tell her to move on, I'm just saying that she will grow out of these as she gets older. _Give her time_. Eventually, she won't even come running to us." He sighed, shaking hs head. They stood in the hallway of Section Five, steps from his office.

"That's not the point, Jojo. She needed us last night, and we weren't there." He growled, pulling away from her and going to the retina scanner over his office doors.

"Don't you think you're being a little ridiculous about this whole situation?" She called; others turned as the Head of Security rushed after her husband, disappearing behind the sliding doors of his office.

"Ridiculous?" Zane snapped, turning on her. "There is a _woman out there_ that is_ your exact replica, Josefina_! She is _convinced that you've stolen your own life from her, and she's determined to get it back! Even if that means killing you!"_ Jo crossed her arms over her chest. "A woman that_ our daughter_ set free! So _yes,_ if I'm being ridiculous about the whole situation, then_ sue_ me. I'm _just trying to protect my family_!" He snapped, going around his desk and taking a seat. She shook her head, taking a deep breath, leaning over his desk.

_"Look_, I'll admit, that I don't agree with what Dylan did anymore than you do, Zane, but don't you think-"

"When it comes to Lua's nightmares, I think our daughter-"

"- that _maybe_ you're blowing this a _little out of proportion_?"

"-_ is telling the truth_." He glared at her, standing and leaning towards her. "I love you, Jojo. You're my world, my life, but I will _not_ cast aside my child's fears because _you_ stopped believing in anything that didn't come wrapped in camoflauge with a round of ammunition. You may have stopped believe that Santa really exists, but our children haven't- and if you dare try to take that away from them, I'll strangle you!"

"What does Santa have to do with this, Zane?" She demanded. "You're talking nonsense now!"

"It's the principle behind it, Josefina! You're trying to fit everything that's happened in the last few weeks into your perfect little duffel, and it won't fit, because _it wasn't meant to_!_ Lua is going_ to have nightmares,_ Dy is going_ to be angry with us, and _Brookie is going_ to cling to you like she has because _they're scared_, Jo! They're just children, and they're scared out of their minds! _Everything_ they know is shifting beneath them, and they _are doing their best_ to hang on, but without us there to pull them back, they'll fall. _We're their parents_, it's our _job_ to protect them. To raise them and love them and make sure they can survive on their own when they finally go out into the real world. And your babying them is only going to undo everything we've done!"

_"I'm not babying them, Zane! If anyone's babying them, it's you!"_

"I'm looking out for my daughters. _I'm looking out for you!_" He screamed. She winced as the trinkets and things that had been scattered about his desk flew to the floor. A moment passed in tense silence. "I'm their_ father_, Jo. It's up to me to protect them. How can I do that if I've failed?" She sighed, going around the desk and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Oh, Zane..." She held him close, as he buried his face in her neck. "You didn't fail... we're doing the best we can, sweetheart. Children don't come with manuals- if they did, this would be a piece of cake. We learn by trial and error. It doesn't matter how many times you make the kill shot if you don't practice first." She reached up, tangling her fingers in his dark hair. He sighed, tightening his arms around her.

"I'm sorry, I just... I'm scared, Jojo." She took a deep breath, tightening her hold on him.

"I know, Zane. I'm scared too." Eventually, he pulled away, resting his forehead to hers, eyes closed. She gently caressed the hair at the nape of his neck, nudging her nose against his. His breath was warm against her face, and she let him pull her closer. "I love you." He grinned softly, nudging his nose to hers, and pressing a gentle kiss to her lips.

"I love you, Jojo." Neither one pulled away as the doors slid open and Rowley entered. Her eyes scanned the trinket-littered floor, unaware of the battle that had taken place moments before she came down to Section Five.

"Josie?" The Security head turned, her brow creasing in confusion.

"Gwen? What... what brings you down here?" The redhead licked her lips.

"I... I just recieved a call from... Dr. Leonardo." Jo thought a moment, sighing.

"Did her creeping ivy get out of control again? Send Tam down with Nichols-"

"She wasn't calling about plants, Josie. She was calling about... about Dylan." Jo turned back to her friend, moving around her husband's desk.

"What? What do you mean she was calling about Dylan? Where's Dylan? Where's my daughter?" Jo cried; Zane grabbed her shoulders, holding her steady.

"Dr. Leonardo has her. She... she heard banging on her greenhouse door and... and Dylan was... sitting in front of it, bleeding. She... she said that... that you had attacked her." Jo and Zane shared confused glances, before realization struck and panic.

"Zane, go down and tell Allison to get medical team ready, Rowley, call Tam and Lan and tell them to arrange a search, I'll call Car-" She stopped, lowering her phone as the sheriff entered. He looked from Jo to Zane and back, placing his thumbs in the loops of his belt.

"Jo, I just got the APB-" Zane's head snapped towards the door as Carter rushed in, Andy in tow. They both stopped, at the sight of Carter's doppelganger in the middle of the room. A moment passed, before he sighed, glancing at Zane and Jo.

"I thought that maybe you could use some help."


	29. Chapter 29

******Rifiuto: Non Mirena**

She stumbled, hitting the dirt. She needed to get back to town as fast as she could before that bitch sicked her patrol on her. Okay, so things hadn't gone as planned. The girl was too damn smart for her own fucking good, and managed to get away before she even had the chance to use her as leverage.

_Is it any wonder? She's Zane's kid. _She stopped, catching her breath. _And yours-_

The sound of police sirens reached her ears, and she continued moving, tightening her ponytail and sticking her hands in her pockets as she came onto the street. A quick glance around told her she was at one of the cul-de-sacs; Allison's house stared at her, and after a moment, she spun on her heel, picking up her pace as she headed downtown.

_No, not mine. She's-_

She stopped, Dylan's words coming back to her. _You aren't my mother._

A strangled sob escaped her lips, and she forced herself to remain calm. The fact that her own daughter had said that... that she was_ believing_ the lies this woman told her... it made Jo sick, and she struggled to control her temper. She had to get out of there; Carter was waiting, and she couldn't risk being seen. By the time she'd made it back to downtown, and over to Cafe Diem, she'd calmed considerably, and her thoughts turned to the life she was going to have once she got her clone out of the way. She hummed softly as she entered the cafe; Carter was supposed to meet her at the bar, and then they'd head outside and sit at one of the tables to talk over their plan.

"Hey Vince." The rotund chef looked up, his eyes sparking as she entered.

"Hey Jo, your usual Vincespresso?" He asked; she nodded. As he worked on it, she let herself look around; Carter was nowhere in sight.

"Um... Vincent have you seen Carter? I need to talk to him; it's important." The older man thought a moment.

"He was here about... an hour and a half ago, and then he rushed out- something about an attack at Dr. Leonardo's greenhouse. Why?" Jo paled._ Oh God, why hadn't I been more careful? What if-_ "You okay, Jo? You look like you're gonna faint. Here, sit." She didn't notice Vincent push her on a nearby stool, or shove the coffee in her hands.

"I... I'm fine. I just... is she okay? Dr. Leonardo?" Vincent shrugged.

"We don't know yet." She nodded. A moment passed, before she got up.

"Thanks, Vince. I... I'm gonna head home. I'm... feeling a little under the weather." He nodded, patting her on the shoulder. Once she was out of the cafe and halfway down the sidewalk, she dumped the cup in the trash, taking a deep breath. "Damn it, Carter. What part of 'meet' don't you understand?" She crossed her arms and headed down the street, turning to Coriolis Loop. Her feet led her to the house she'd lived in since coming to Eureka, that had become the home she shared with Zane, and now, was the house that Zane and _she_ raised her daughters in.

She stood on the sidwalk, staring up at the TARDIS house, memories flashing through her mind- her first night in the house as a resident of Eureka, the first night she and Zane spent together, the morning after, sharing a shower and then breakfast in the kitchen, the day she told Zane she was pregnant with Dylan, the night she went into labor, the day they brought Brooke home...

So many memories, faded and worn; now belonging to someone else. Another her, to make matters worse. Memories that belonged to her, that she had shared with Zane, that had kept her alive this last year in the other reality. Memories of Zane kissing her, holding her, making love to her- suddenly turning into another her, from another universe, taking over and building a life for herself with _her_ identity, _her_ memories. Her beautiful girls, growing up without_ their_ mother- being forced to love this... imposter. And Zane... climbing into bed next to her, kissing her, making love to her, while his real wife was trapped in another universe, with no way to get home to her family. Imagining the nights of wild passion that had taken place in _their_ bedroom, while he made love to that... that clone...

That clone, screaming his name as he brought every part of her body to the highest peak, laying in his arms, and whispering soft words to him afterwards... wearing_ her_ ring, having _his_ name, carrying and bearing _his_ child. She took a deep breath, struggling to keep her temper in check. That that... _bitch_... laid a hand on him at all, that she took him into her in the evenings, and laid on his chest after, that he curled around her, and ran his hands down her body and over her curves...

That she screamed his name, that he whispered that he loved her, amid soft, sleepy kisses or wild, passionate abandon, made her blood boil, and she stalked up the walk, towards the porch. It took a moment for the retina scanner to work, but once the door swung open, she stormed inside, ignoring the AI's voice and going downstairs to the firing range. She saw only red as she unlocked the cabinet and selected a gun, grabbing a bullet and then shutting the cabinet behind her.

The bullet was cool against her hot skin, and she shivered in excitement.

One bullet, was all she needed.

One, single bullet, to take her life back.


	30. Chapter 30

******Rifiuto: Non Mirena^**

"Dylan? _Dylan!"_

_"Mommy! Daddy!"_ The feel of her daughter's slender arms around her neck didn't even_ begin_ to describe the overwhelming relief that flooded Jo as she held her oldest in Maria Leonardo's greenhouse. _"I'm so sorry, Mommy!"_

"Shh... shh, baby, it's okay. I'm here, Mommy's here. We won't leave you ever again. I promise." Jo pressed a firm kiss to her child's hair, stroking the soft strands, silently thanking God that her baby was safe.

"Thank you again, Maria. If you hadn't been here-" The botanist laid a gentle hand on Zane's arm.

"I'm just glad I was, Zane." She glanced at Jo and Dylan. He nodded, thanking her, before going to his wife and daughter and letting Dylan throw her arms around him.

"Is she-" Jo turned, as Carter entered, out of breath. The Head of Security nodded.

"She's okay. The girls-"

"No need to worry, Mrs. Donovan. Brookelyn and Luca are safe at SARAH." Andy told her.

"Jenna's... with them..." Carter added. Jo nodded, turning back to her daughter. Dylan was curled protectively in Zane's arms, head resting on his chest, his arms tight around her. He swayed gently back and forth, humming softly to her. His hands gently caressed her head, and every so often, he pressed a kiss to her head; images of him doing the same thing when she was a baby, a toddler, a little girl, popped into Jo's head, and she struggled to hide her tears. The very real possibility that she would never have gotten to see Zane do this again...

"You okay, baby?" She asked, rubbing her daughter's back. Dy nodded, looking up at her mother with wide blue eyes. She gently brushed several strands out of her daughter's eyes before making her way to Allison. "So... how's my baby, Dr. Blake?" She asked, crossing her arms. Allison looked up from her tablet.

"She's-"

"Alive." Jo cut in. "Thank God." Allison nodded, reaching out and taking her hand.

"She has a cut across her cheek- nothing deep, and once we get her back to the infirmary, it won't scar, along with a few minor bumps and bruises, but overall, she's good. Although, it's the emotional damage I'm worried about, Jo. If you need to, take her to Grace." Jo nodded.

"I will, thank you, Allison." The older woman wrapped her in a hug, rubbing her back, before pulling away.

"And if you or Zane need anything-" Jo nodded. Then, the older woman dropped a kiss to her cheek, squeezing her hand before going to Dylan and Zane. Jo watched her, becoming lost in the very real thoughts that she had come very close to losing her child. It scared her, and she shivered, turning to find Carter staring at her.

"Thank God Maria was here. If she'd been at her other greenhouse..." Jo stopped, tears flooding her vision. The sheriff moved towards her, reaching out to hug her, but she stepped back.

"Hey, we found her, she's here and she's alive. And... other than a few bumps and bruises, she's okay. Remember that, Jo." She nodded.

"I... I know, Carter I... I just... I almost lost my _baby_..." Carter wrapped her in his arms, and she gratefully clung to him, as tears slid down her cheeks. He rubbed her back, letting her cry.

"But you didn't. She's here, and she's alive... and she's healthy. She'll be in your arms tonight, and every night after. Think of that, Jo, not of what could have happened." She buried her face in his neck, openly sobbing now. Carter chuckled softly. "It's okay, Mama. Your baby's safe." She hit him lightly, and he laughed gently, running a hand up her back. "I know. I know it's not easy. Trust me, I've been there. Remember Zoe? Little hellion used to runaway just to piss me off- and in a lot of way, Dylan's just like her. Fearless, reckless... things she gets from Zane, but she also has your stubborn streak, your will to live. She's not stupid, Josefina. Her IQ's about at yours and Zane's, so she's got the brain, but she also has something most of these kids don't have- something she got from both you and Zane in spades."

"What?" Jo choked out against his neck. Carter chuckled.

"Smarts. And I don't mean science smarts, I mean street smarts. The ability to survive on her own on the streets of... well, Boston or Jersey, I'm sure, but my point is... that she has the skills to survive in the real world. Something most of these kids don't have. Our Dy's a fighter, like you and like Zane. And she did just that today. You should be proud." Jo took a deep breath, choking on another sob. "I know I am." Eventually, he pulled away, reaching up to wipe her eyes. "You gonna be okay?" She nodded. "Good. Go hold your baby, Josefina. She needs her Mama right now." Jo nodded, pressing a kiss to his cheek before going back to her husband and daughter.

Zane's soft humming reached her ears, and she stopped, drinking in the sight of the man she loved cradling one of their most precious creations in his arms. Jo closed her eyes, struggling to get her emotions under control, and she thought back to the night Dylan had been born, even as she went to her husband and silently asked to hold their child. She'd been a baby, just born, when Jo had stared into her beautiful blue eyes and fallen in love that long ago day. Jo had laid back against the pillows, cradling her firstborn against her chest- much like she was doing now- with tears in her eyes, as she marveled at the tiny miracle she and Zane had created. So caught up in memories of the day her daughter graced their world, she almost missed the soft, tear-filled,

"I love you, Mommy."


	31. Chapter 31

******Rifiuto: Non Mirena**

******A/N: Here is where the two paths start to converge... and yes, the stick is reference to Zane attacking Carter in_ Force Quit_. **

She watched her pace the length of the porch, saw him come out and go to her. Saw him take her into his arms and kiss her, listened to their muffled conversation, broken only by the soft sound of kissing. Her blood began to boil as Zane pulled her flush against him, his hands slowly working their way down her curves, gently working at her clothing, caressing her soft flesh, as his mouth eagerly took hold of hers. Her arms went around his neck, grasping at his shirt and hair, her body melding to his...

She took a deep breath, turning and telling herself to remain calm, that everything would go back to normal once _she_ was out of the picture. She stopped moving, the porch had fallen silent, and she held her breath. "Did you hear that?"

"It's probably just a stray dog-"

"We don't have stray dogs in Eureka, Zane!" She moved towards the steps, but he grabbed her hand; she turned back.

"Jojo, let it go. It's just a dog." He tugged gently on her hand. "Come on, our baby was attacked today, and she's home and safe- now let's go spend some time with our baby girl." She went to him.

"Go on in, babe. I'll be in in a moment." She pressed a firm kiss to his lips, before rushing down the steps. Zane sighed, watching her disappear down the steps, before doing as told.

A moment passed, as she slipped out of the bush and rushed down the sidewalk, towards the park. "Hello?" She stopped, hearing her voice. Taking a deep breath, she hurried on, hearing the sound of footsteps behind her. Good, she was following. She needed to get her alone, back into the darkest corner of Eureka, for her plan to work.

Jo followed the footsteps, unable to see the person the sound belonged too, but all too soon, she found herself in the woods surrounding Eureka, not far from Carter's bunker. The moon was high, giving off the only light in the whole area. She turned, "Who's there? Show yourself!"

"I was hoping you'd follow me here." She turned, to see the woman Dylan had let free, leaning against a tree, hands in her pockets.

"What do you want?" Fear began to trickle into her mind, and she took a deep breath.

"You know what I want. I want my family back. My life. The one you took from me." She pushed herself away from the tree, sauntering down towards Jo, the handgun tucked into her back.

"I didn't take anything from you. It's not my fault you ended up in the wrong time." Jo replied. She laughed, shaking her head.

"You really think you're not to blame for me losing everything? If you hadn't been trying to 'get home' I'd still be here. Zane and I would be happy, we'd still be in love, my girls wouldn't fear me like you taught them too-"

"I haven't taught them anything. They learned to fear you all on their own. And they have every right." She shook her head again, slower this time.

"No, those are _my_ babies. That is_ my_ husband. This is _my_ home,_ my_ town, and_ my_ life. And you took it from me."

_"I didn't take anything from you!"_ Jo snapped; she reeled back, ending up on her ass as the woman struck her hard. Slowly, the Head of Security reached up, blood coated her fingers from a split lower lip, and it took a moment for her to get her bearings. She slowly climbed to her feet, locking eyes with the other woman.

"You took my life from me. _I belong here_._ I_ am the one that married Zane, _I'm_ the one that carried and gave birth to those girls, and you _have no right_ to _waltz_ in here and take over." Jo took a deep breath; she stalked towards her double, shoving her hard. They hit the ground, tumbling one over the other. Jo grabbed her by the front of her shirt, pulled back and struck. A small thrill of satisfaction flooded through her as her fist made contact with the woman's nose. But that small bit of satisfaction was quickly squashed as she was thrown back, as the woman grabbed her around the throat, and held her down. "I am going to get my life back, and you're going to say goodbye to yours." She whispered, pulling the gun from her back and cocking the hammer, her fingers nowhere near the trigger.

Jo's eyes widened in shock; her military training kicked in instantly though, and she kicked out, throwing the woman off balance. The gun fell from her hand, and Jo shoved it away, reminding herself to remember where it landed. She had a sick feeling that she would need it. When she turned back around, it was to her double, coming at her with a stick. On instinct, she ducked, managing to knock the woman to her ass and overpower her. The next few minutes passed in a blur, she wasn't sure whether an hour had passed or a day, if it was morning or evening, if she was asleep or awake. She only knew that this... lunatic was trying to kill her, that she needed to get back to her husband and children, that she needed to protect them.

She struggled as the clone's hands went around her throat, and she struggled to get her off, groping behind her. If she was correct, the gun would be somewhere within reach-

_"You took my family from me! And now I'm going to get them back!"_ Jo groped behind her, praying that she could find the gun, even as the woman reached for something to most likely bash her skull in. Suddenly, Jo felt it, her fingers landed on the gun. With practiced ease, she grabbed the firearm, aimed, and pulled the trigger, the blast shattering the quiet night.


	32. Chapter 32

******Rifiuto: Non Mirena**

******A/N: And just as the two paths converge, they quickly split off again... and from here on out, there are no more ^ markers for alternating chapters.**

She sucked in air. Her heart beat erratically in her chest, and she closed her eyes, telling herself that it was real, that this had really happened, that she had just _killed_ someone. She'd done it multiple times in combat over in Afghanistan, but never, had she seen their faces, felt their bodies against hers, and as she shoved the clone off of her, she realized that she'd just killed_ herself_. A younger, insane her, but still. "And to think, I once gloated about having the most marksmanship titles..." She choked out, climbing to her feet. She dropped the gun, and stumbled back towards the street, reaching up to swipe at her lip. "Great. How the hell do I explain this to Zane?"

She stumbled down the street, shaking and pale, covered in dirt and bleeding from several wounds, scrapes and cuts she'd recieved. Thank God it was still evening, now all she had to do was get home, sneak into the house, and forget this night ever happened. "Jojo!" She looked up; Zane stood on the porch, and quickly rushed down the steps towards her. She stumbled onto the grass and into his arms. "God, Jojo, what happened?" He demanded, taking her face in his hands. She shook her head.

How do you tell the man you love that you just murdered- essentially- the woman he originally fell in love with? That you just murdered yourself?

"Zane? What's wrong?" He turned back to the porch.

"Allison, get the first aid kit, something's wrong." The doctor moved down the steps, but stopped when he turned, leading Jo towards the house. She took a staggering step towards the porch, and her knees promptly gave out. Zane scooped her into his arms and carried her the rest of the way to the porch, up the steps and inside.

_"Oh, God! Jo!" _She was instantly swarmed by the others; Henry and Grace wer asking questions, Allison was working on checking her, Fargo was running something related to her situation on his tablet; it was a blur of color and sound and scent, a blur that soon overwhelmed her. She collapsed, welcoming the quiet that quickly enveloped her.

When she awoke nearly an hour later, it was to the feel of hot water hitting her bruised and bloodied body. Her dark eyes shifted slowly, before they focused on-

"Zane?" Her voice was hoarse, and she struggled to take a breath. His soft smile warmed her, and he nodded.

"Welcome back, Jojo." It was then that she looked around.

"What... where am I?" She slowly sat up, finding that she was sitting in the shower, in Zane's arms, with the others gathered around, watching. For a moment, she thought they were all there to see a show, but when she felt the wet material of her blouse against her skin, she realized they were all there out of concern.

"You passed out, Jo. I had... Zane run a hot shower and hold you under it, to warm you up- you were borderline hypothermia." Allison spoke up, handing her a towel. Gently, Zane pulled her hair over her shoulder and worked on ringing it out.

"What were you doing in the woods, Jo?" Carter asked, hands in his pockets. She stared at him. Was this really Carter, or the clone Dylan had set free? And if it was the clone, could she trust him? Or would he try to hurt her too?

"I... I heard... I heard something in the yard and... went to... to check it out. Thought it was a... dog or something and.. followed it to the woods... I was wrong. It wasn't a dog. It was... " She swallowed, glancing at everyone. "it was her. My..." She turned to Zane. "The original... me. The one who... who caused all this trouble in the first place." Gently, Zane reached up, cradling her cheek in his hand.

"What happened, Jo? You were covered in dirt and blood, you looked like you'd been tortured- something happened in those woods, Jo. As an officer, I _have_ to investigate this." Carter told her. "I'd rather do it now than have anyone else discover it later on." Jo nodded, taking a deep breath. She swallowed, closing her eyes briefly, but images of what she'd endured in the woods clouded her mind, and she choked on a sob.

"I... I killed her... I didn't have a choice... she was gonna kill me... she... she tried to bash my skull in... I was just _defending myself_... I was protecting my babies... I'm so sorry... but I didn't have any other choice..._ I didn't have a choice_..." She broke down completely; Zane pulled her to his chest, holding her close and letting her cry. Her sobs cut through Carter's heart, and a moment passed, before he slipped into the bedroom.

"So what do we do?" Fargo asked, once the others were all in the other room. Carter shook his head.

"I-"

"She's telling the truth, Carter. I've never seen so many defensive wounds- hell, as many wounds- on her as I did tonight. And, that's saying something, especially since-" Allison started.

"Since the wounds she brought back from Afghanistan were ten times worse." Henry added. Carter looked from one to the other.

"She fought, Carter. She fought to come back, to protect her family, her life. She really had no choice."

"I don't know, Allison-"

"Jack, you _know_ Jo. Would she ever kill on _purpose_?" The sheriff instantly shook his head, glancing at his best friend. "Would she kill to protect herself and those she loved?"

"Of course she would, Henry. We all would!"

"She didn't kill for the enjoyment or because she wanted to, she killed because she _had_ to. It was what she had to do to survive. It's been engrained in her since she was a child, that you protect the ones you love." Carter nodded, and everyone looked up as Zane entered with Jo, who was wrapped in a towel. The sheriff sighed.

"Jo, I'm gonna-"

"She's in the woods, turn south and keep true. You'll see her. My Walther is right beside her; it's empty, the bullet's in her. There was only one, because she was planning on coming out of this alive, not the other way around. Check my gun cabinet in the basement if you don't believe me. The Walther's the only one missing. Let me get dressed; I'll meet you downstairs and then you can take me in." She whispered, stoic. Carter glanced at Zane, who sighed, unsure of what to do. A moment passed, before the others left, leaving the couple alone. Once they were gone, Zane went to her, taking her face in his hands. "You don't believe me, do you?"

"Yes, I do." He stared into her dark eyes, seeing the woman he loved and adored, struggling with what she'd done. "I will _always_ believe you." He whispered. He pressed a quick kiss to her lips, breathing her in and relishing her in his arms. "You finish getting changed; I'll be downstairs." She nodded, watching him go. When she came downstairs twenty minutes later, it was to a quiet house, with only the sound of the fire crackling in the grate and soft whispering in the living room. She heard Jenna's soft voice, and knew the girls were home. "They found the body, just like you said. Carter checked the chamber, you were right. One bullet, meant for you; lodged in her." Zane didn't turn, he sat on the stairs, elbows on his knees, hands folded.

"I... I'm sorry." She choked out. He turned to her, blue eyes startled.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Jojo. You did what you had too to survive." She bit her lip, moving around him. But instead of going downstairs into the living room, she took a seat on the stair below his, wedging herself between his legs and leaning back against his chest. Anyone standing on the landing would have no idea that Jo was in Zane's arms, they'd only see him, were they looking down. She tucked her head beneath his chin, and he wrapped his arms around her, sighing softly. She relaxed into him, closing her eyes and breathing in his scent; a few rebellious tears slipped down her cheeks, and he gently wiped them away, pressing a sound kiss to her head. "I'm proud of you, Jojo." He whispered against her hair.

"For what?" She choked out. "For committing murder?" He shook his head, his chin rubbing against the top her head as he did so.

"No. For defending yourself. For protecting your family. You did the right thing, Jojo. I'm proud of you for it." He pressed another soft kiss to her head, breathing her in. They sat in silence for several minutes, before a familiar voice brought their attention downstairs.

"How're you doing?" Carter stood at the bottom of the stairs, hands in his pockets. Jo stared at him for several minutes before,

"You... you're supposed to be..."

"He is. Allison told... him.." He nodded towards Zane, but obviously meant the younger man's double. "and I to stay here." Jo nodded. "You okay?" She shrugged, licking her lips.

"As good as I'm gonna get." Carter nodded.

"I... worked a case... a couple years before I came to Eureka... that... involved a pair of women. Sisters. I'd tracked them down to this... seedy little motel in Houston, and just as we made our way up the stairs to the second floor, we heard a gunshot. One of them met us at the door. She'd... shot her twin sister, and then handed us the wire she'd put on herself. Told us that her sister had forced her to go along, that the confession was all on the tape, and that she was sorry. Said if she hadn't, then her sister had threatened to kill her three-year-old son. So she went along with the plan for as long as she had to, and then... killed the woman she grew up with- the last tie to her roots- to protect the child she and her husband had created. She'd protected her family, and she wanted us to know that." He took a deep breath. "And then... she put the barrel in her mouth and pulled the trigger."

Jo felt Zane shudder, and she reached down, taking his hand and squeezing. "We listened to the tape, and at the end of it, she left a message for her son, letting him know that she did what she did because she loved him, and that she she'd done it to protect him. Which is what you did, Jo. You protected your family. That's not murder, that's _self defense_." She took a deep breath, fresh tears escaping her eyes. A moment passed, before Carter whispered, "Jo, please. Come home. If you stay here, what's happened with just tear you apart. Come back with Zane and I, you can make a fresh start-"

She shook her head. "I can't, Carter. This is my home. My babies are here. I can't leave them."

"Jo-" A small, sad smile graced her features.

"Carter, please. Try to understand. My life is here, my family... I'm not leaving my husband, and it doesn't matter what you say. That Zane is not mine. He is _not_ my Zane!" She tightened her grip on her husband's hands, lacing their fingers. _"This_ is my Zane. _This_ is my timeline now._ This_ is my Eureka, and _those_ are my babies. I'm not going anywhere." She licked her lips. "I'm staying right here. Where I belong." She swallowed, sniffling. "I'm sorry."

He nodded, understanding. "Take care of yourself, Jo." She gave him a small smile, before getting up and going to him. Her arms wrapped around his neck, and she pressed a kiss to his cheek. He watched her go back to Zane, and settle back between his legs. "I'll see ya." Then, he turned, heading down the stairs. Jo heard Fargo's voice, and the sound of the door closing.

"Mommy? Daddy?" They looked up; Dylan stood at the bottom of the stairs, arms wrapped around herself, tears in her eyes. Jo glanced at Zane.

"What's wrong, baby?" She asked. "Come here." Dylan didn't hesitate, and flew up the stairs, burrowing into her mom's arms.


	33. Chapter 33

******Rifiuto: Non Mirena**

Zane looked up. Jo wandered into the kitchen, in a pair of plaid pajama bottoms and a tank top, her long dark hair down around her shoulders. He smirked, as she shuffled to the kitchen cabinet and grabbed a bowl, before pouring some cereal into it. Then, she took a seat at the island, and proceeded to push the food around in the bowl. They sat in silence for several minutes, before, "Girls still asleep?" She nodded. "And... how are you doing?" She shrugged. They lapsed into silence again.

"You get used to it. Killing, I mean. In combat, you're up against the enemy, you know who you're against, and who's with you. You never... you never see the face of the person you're shooting. They're just... one of _them_. It's easier to kill when you don't know who you're up against." He listened, watching as she pushed the cereal around in her bowl before she pushed it aside. He reached out, laying a hand over hers.

"You did what you had to. You didn't have a choice." She nodded, sighing.

"I know."

The sound of footsteps brought them both from their silence, and they turned. Bright blue eyes darted from one face to the next, as he rubbed the back of his neck, his black hair touseled from sleep, and damp from his shower. "Um... morning..." They both gave him small smiles, and slowly, he shuffled into the kitchen, going to the counter. "AIDA... coffee..." He shook his head, yawning.

"Eggs and sausage, Zane? Or perhaps pancakes?"

"No thank you, AIDA, coffee is fine." He replied, taking the steaming cup. He took a sip as he went to his wife. "Morning, Jojo." He pressed a kiss to her lips, his brow furrowing in confusion. "Um... Jojo... why is he..."

"He's here because I asked him here." They all turned, to see Henry and Allison sitting on the sofa, several different tablets spread out on the coffee table before them.

"Um... not that I don't enjoy it when you both visit, but... _why_ are you here at nine on a Saturday morning?" Zane asked, rubbing his neck with a soft whimper. Jo's attention instantly turned to the man by her side.

"You okay, babe?" He nodded.

"Yeah, I just... slept wrong." He sighed. "I'm fine. I promise." She reached up, gently running her fingers over the stubble on his cheeks.

"Perhaps a warm compress or a hot shower would help release the tension in your neck, Zane." The younger man glanced towards the ceiling.

"No, thank you, AIDA. I'm fine."

"We would have waited, but this is too important." Allison said, as Zane rested his elbows on the island, leaning over and sighing as he struggled to work the kink out of his neck. On instinct, Jo reached up, working the pressure points on her husband's neck, shoulders and back. He groaned softly in agitation as she hit a particularly sensitive spot on his back; she sighed, turning to Allison.

"What's so important that it couldn't wait until Monday?" Zane choked out, hissing as she worked on his neck again. Henry sighed and got up, going to them. He set the tablet he held on the counter, and after a moment, Zane looked up, examining the information through narrowed blue eyes. A moment passed, "Remind me again what I'm looking at?" Jo chuckled softly as she continued her work on his back.

"The... window to send Carter and Zane back is closing."

"But it's only been a few weeks-"

"I know, Zane. But for some reason, it's closing faster than we anticipated, and if we don't send them back now, we'll never get another chance." Henry cut the young director off. Zane sighed.

"Fine. Where's the... Bridge Device..." He gestured half-heartedly, groaning as Jo's nails hit a sore spot on his neck, digging into his skin.

"In my garage. Grace and I have everything all worked out, Carter and... you just need to get there."

"Actually, it's just going to be Carter." Everyone turned. Jo briefly stopped her work on her husband's back.

"What do you-" Zane's clone sighed.

"You and I weren't meant to be, Jo. I know that. But... I'm starting to think that... maybe I... don't belong in Eureka... in any timeline." Zane raised his head, turning to stare at his younger self.

"What are you talking about?" He asked. "You've always belonged in Eureka." Zane shook his head.

"No. You've always belonged in Eureka. You've made a life, a family. In this timeline, you and Jo were meant to be. It's obvious you're deeply in love. You make her happy. Your life is here, in Eureka. Mine... in my timeline... never was." He turned to Henry. "I think I'll see the world, or start a company. Maybe go up to Vancouver for a while." Henry nodded.

"We'll work up the papers for you." Zane nodded.

"Whoa, wait. You're going to falsify documents _and_ cover up a murder?" Jo asked. Henry turned to the young Head of Security.

"We don't have to cover up a murder. The body isn't here. That's why we came to see you. I finished my autopsy report this morning, but when I turned back around, the body was gone. You are the _only_ Josefina Donovan living in Eureka. Hell, in the whole United States. There's no record of the other one ever having existed."

"So she just... vanished?" Zane asked, as Jo resumed rubbing his back. He groaned as she hit another sensitive spot, resting his forehead against his folded hands.

"Seems that way." Henry replied.

"I don't like it." Jo stopped at the nape of her husband's neck, and absentmindedly played with the black hair near her fingers. "In combat, when an enemy vanishes, it usually means they've returned to their base and are changing tactics."

"No changing tactics here, Jo. You're aim was good. Blew her brain out the back of her skull. There was no way she- let alone anyone else- could have survived a shot like that." Henry said. Jo scoffed, resuming her work.

"No wonder you have the most marksmanship titles." Zane mumbled; he hissed as she dug her nails into his skin. A yelp of pain escaped his lips not seconds later when she dug harder and he jumped. "Jesus, Jojo, not so rough." She rolled her eyes, keeping quiet. A moment passed, as she pushed his head back to his folded hands and resumed her work.

"The reason you have kinks is-"

"Because you're getting old." Everyone but Zane turned as the door opened.

"Shut up, Carter." He mumbled, wincing as Jo continued. The sheriff chuckled, watching the young couple.

"Go easy on him, Jo. He can't take much more abuse." She glared at him, before returning her attention to her husband.

"You have kinks in your muscles because you're up all night working on those stupid projects." She muttered. It was Zane's turn to scoff.

"No, I have kinks because _you_ keep me up at all hours of the night with your shenanigans." She pressed hard, eliciting another yelp from him.

"The majority of those shenanigans are yours, Zane Matthew, and if I remember correctly, I didn't hear you complaining last night." She replied through clenched teeth.

"It's because I love you. Besides, if I don't agree, we risk waking the girls, and God knows neither one of us can afford another embarrassing conversation like the one we had when Dy was six. The fact that Grace agreed to therapy was a miracle."

"You had to enroll your daughter in therapy because of The Talk?" Zane's clone asked. He shook his head.

"No, Zane had to have therapy." Carter snorted.

"Do you know how embarrassing it is to get caught in the middle of that by your own child?" The younger man asked. Carter thought a moment.

"Uh... no..."

"Then shut up about it." Henry shook his head, a small smile on his face.

"Well, we'd better get going. We're gonna make sure Carter gets back to his time; and that everything goes as it's supposed to. We'll see you tomorrow." And one by one, they left. Once the door closed, Jo stopped her work and wrapped her arms around her husband from behind. Pressing her cheek to his back, she whispered,

"Come back to bed, babe. It's early, and I can make you feel better." She pulled away, taking his hand and tugging him towards the stairs. A moment passed before he followed.


	34. Chapter 34

******Rifiuto: Non Mirena**

"I'm sorry, Mommy." She turned, at the feel of small, slender arms around her middle. Dylan was behind her, head resting against her back. Slowly, Jo turned, wrapping her arms around her child. "I didn't mean to cause all this trouble. I just... I was... angry..."

"Shh. I know, baby. Daddy and I should have told you long ago, but... we were... we just wanted to protect you." She wrapped her arms tight around her oldest daughter, pressing her cheek to the top of her head. "If we'd told you at the beginning, maybe we could have protected you better." She sighed, rubbing her daughter's back. The child buried her face in her mom's chest.

"Mommy!" Jo looked up, Brooke rushed into the kitchen, Zane was behind her, hands in his pockets. "He went away." The eleven-year-old looked back at her father. "Uncle Carter's clone. He left." Jo raised her eyebrows and pulled away from Dylan.

"Really?" She turned to her husband. Zane nodded, pushing away from the wall he was leaning against. He went to her, taking her into his arms. "Good. Easier to fall back into normalcy then. She ran her hands up his jacket. "I love you in heather grey," She whispered, reaching up and tugging on his lapel, adjusting the Section Five pin. "It really makes your beautiful blue eyes pop." He leaned down, capturing her lips in his in a gentle kiss, as the girls giggled softly. They broke apart, turning to stare at their two oldest daughters. "Something funny?"

"No Mommy." They replied in unison. A moment passed, before Jo grabbed her husband's hand and pulled him towards the door.

"Good. Now come on, Auntie Allison said she'd pick Lua up at ballet; I'll send her a text and ask her to meet us at Cafe Diem. I don't know about you all, but I'm starving and I could go for a Vinespresso."

Twenty minutes later, Jo went to Carter, clapping a hand on his shoulder. He jumped, nearly dropping his coffee. She glanced at her family, seated at one of the booths, and then took a seat next to him at the counter. "Jeez Jo! What the hell?" She chuckled.

"Good to see you too, Carter." She said, tossing her long dark hair over her shoulder. "So, now that your... rival self is gone, how are things with you and-" She stopped, her dark eyes darting to the door, in time to see Allison and Luca enter. Jenna was with them, listening as the child told her some story about what had happened in her dance class. Carter followed her gaze.

"It's fine." He said, turning back to Jo. She raised an eyebrow. "What? It's just-"

"Mommy!" The seven-year-old rushed to Jo, throwing herself into her mother's arms. Jo took her daughter onto her lap, pressing a firm kiss to her forehead.

"How was ballet, baby girl?" The child turned to her.

"Good. Ms. Aslinn said I can go into the higher class starting next week." Jo's dark eyes widened in surprise, and she grinned.

"That's great, sweetie. I'm so proud of you!" She hugged her daughter tight, before leaning down and whispering, "Daddy and your sisters are over there. Go on, I'll be there in a few minutes. I just want to talk to Uncle Carter about something first, okay?" The child nodded, and climbed off her mom's lap, rushing to the booth her father and sisters were sitting at. Once she was gone, Jo turned back to Carter. "So, have you and-" She nodded towards Allison who was back talking to Zane. He followed her gaze. "exchanged keys yet?" She raised her eyebrows. He groaned, shaking his head slowly.

"No. Why?" She shrugged, accepting the coffee Vincent set in front of her.

"Just wondering when you're going to take the plunge." She said, turning and getting up.

"Like you and Zane?" She stopped, turning back to him.

"Carter, Zane and I have been married for _fifteen_ years. We have three beautiful girls, and sometimes, we don't always see eye to eye, but we love each other. We took the plunge, and it paid off. Now you just have to decide if you want to do the same." She turned to go, sipping her coffee, when his voice stopped her.

"I kissed her." She turned back, eyebrows raised.

"That's good. Now just take it a step further." She turned to go.

"It's just... hard, you know. With... Henry and Grace making a real commitment and renewing their vows, and you and Zane... having... tied the knot years ago- and with three little girls-" Carter sighed, and Jo returned to the counter, sitting beside him again and laying her hand over his.

"Carter, you'll never know if you don't try." She leaned over, pressing a kiss to his cheek before getting up. A moment passed, before he followed her back to the booth her family was at.

"I would, only I don't know if us being a... if we should... if..." He stopped, turning to her. She chuckled at his loss for words, stopping in the middle of the cafe.

"Maybe you should just let it be, instead of trying to put a label on it." He raised his eyebrows in surprise, crying out,

"'Let it be'. _That's_ your_ sage_ advice?" The conversation between Zane and Allison stopped, as they all turned to look at him. Slowly, Jo turned back to Carter.

"Look, I told Zane when we started dating, that if we were going to be working together and sleeping together, then things were going to get complicated, and if he wanted complicated, then he better plan on sticking around, because I wasn't going to be one of those fly by night deals-"

Carter chuckled. "But that's you and Zane. Allison and I aren't like that-"

"Doesn't matter. Complicated is complicated, no matter how you look at it, and sleeping with the person you_ work with_ is more complicated than not. Especially in Eureka. How many times did I get stared at because no one in the fucking town can keep their noses out of other people's business? The only time it stopped was when Zane and I got married- and it only stopped for about a year until I got pregnant." Carter opened his mouth to speak, but she held up a hand. "All I'm saying, is that maybe you need to order dessert first."

"Dessert?" Carter raised his eyebrows, before looking at Zane. "This has you written all over it. What have you been exposing her to?" Zane held up his hands.

"I haven't done anything!" Allison chuckled softly, looking from Carter to Zane and back. Jo shoved the sheriff, snorting.

"I pick these things up, besides, he's my husband, he's gonna influence me. I gave birth to his children for crying out loud."

"Dessert is the best main course." Zane piped up, leaning his elbows on the table and folding his hands. "Definately better than the meat and potatoes, but that's just my experience." Carter shuddered. "And-"

"And if you're lucky, you'll get seconds and thirds." Jo cut in, turning her attention back to the older man. He paled, looking from one to the other. The girls were giggling at his obvious embarrassment, and all looked away when he turned his blue gaze to them. "Besides-"

"Sometimes the main course can be so boring. Better to skip the dinner completely than order it and let it go to waste." His blue eyes roamed quickly over his wife, and he smirked. Carter blanched.

"You know, when your husband says it like that, it doesn't sound like a good idea at all." Jo narrowed her eyes, sipping her coffee. Allison watched the pair, silent. She appeared to be enjoying the banter going on between the two best friends.

"We're..." Zane stopped, glancing at the girls. "For the most part, the majority of us are adults here, Carter." He amended, wrapping his middle daughter in his arms. "There's nothing wrong with a little... adult recreation." He turned his blue gaze to the children at his side. "And sometimes, if you're lucky, that recreation leads to something so much more meaningful." He gently brushed a strand of dark hair off Brooke's cheek and tapped her nose. The child grinned, wrapping her arms around her father's waist. He pressed a kiss to her head.

Carter chuckled softly. "Fatherhood's softened you, Zane. You're losing your edge." Jo snorted, as her husband cast him a glare that would freeze Hell twice over.

"Think of it this way, Jack, love is like a car. Can be... totally high performance, but ultimately, completely under your control."

"Or, in your case- like Zane." Carter added. Jo tried not to laugh, but lost the battle.

"Kinda." She choked out, brushing tears off her cheeks. "Honestly, Jack, take the plunge. You'll find it's worth it in the end." She moved past Allison, to slide in next to Luca, but Carter's words stopped her.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, Jo, but you make a pretty good mom." She turned back to her best friend, a proud smirk on her face, as Vincent brought their orders over.

"Damn Skippy I do." Carter's eyebrows shot up.

"'Damn Skippy?'" Jo rolled her eyes, and tossed a french fry at him, which Carter impressively caught in midair by way of mouth. She stuck her tongue out at him playfully, before bidding them both goodbye as they left, taking hands.


	35. Chapter 35

******Rifiuto: Non Mirena**

******A/N: Reprise's ending will make an appearance... just _not_ in this story, and so will Jo's mother's locket, but not in this story. **

"Any man who says he understands women is either naive or a liar. Grace and I renewed our vows, and I _still_ don't know women." Zane chuckled. It had been a year and a half since the time travel incident; since Jo's doppelganger had been killed and Carter's had returned to his own time; since Zane's had vanished without a word, and the girls had been told the truth. In that time, Fargo and Claudia had broken up- something about long distance not working- and Carter and Allison had started sleeping together. Their relationship had been red-flagged, and they were being forced to be evaluated by a D.O.D. liason. Zane had found the whole thing quite funny.

"Then I guess that makes me a liar then, Henry, because I'm _certainly_ not naive." He wrapped an arm around Jo's neck, pressing a kiss to her temple. It was Henry and Grace's yearly barbacue, and the adults were relaxing in the backyard, chatting over beers and music as the kids played soccer. Zoe and Lucas had welcomed a baby girl that February, and everyone in their small group doted on the baby. At that moment, Luca was playing with the baby, rolling a ball back and forth with her in the grass as her sisters kicked the soccer ball back and forth. Jo watched her children, laying her head back against her husband's shoulder. She sighed. "Something wrong, Jojo?" A soft chuckle escaped her throat.

"No. I'm just happy."

"... Section Five guys say they don't get the best houses, but they do." The couple turned, as Dylan kicked the ball to her sister. "We essentially live in the rich part of town." Zane glanced at Jo, who rolled her eyes.

"What do you mean by that, Dylan?" Carter asked, taking a seat next to Allison. The girls didn't look up from their game, but Brooke was the one to reply.

"Um... you're the one who lives in an underground bunker with more opinions than your ex-wife, Uncle Carter."

_"Brookie!"_ Jo's sharp reply briefly stopped the game, but the girls quickly picked it up again.

"No, it's true, Jo." Carter added.

"Is that why we live there?" Luca asked, rolling the ball towards Elsie, who squealed. "Because Daddy works in Section Five?" Jo chuckled softly, as Luca climbed to her feet and scooped the baby up. Zoe quickly took her daughter back, taking her inside to change her. Then, the eight-year-old went to Zane, curling onto his lap. Dylan snorted.

"Daddy doesn't work in Section Five, Lua." She said, kicking the ball back and forth between her legs. "He _runs_ Section Five. _That's_ why we have the best house in Eureka-"

"Because Daddy's the Head of Section Five." Luca finished, looking up at her father. Zane chuckled softly, gently pressing a kiss to his daughter's head. The child yawned, snuggling into her father's embrace. Eventually, he got up, his youngest in his arms.

"We're gonna go. It's getting late and the girls are tired-"

"Not tired, Daddy." Brooke protested, even as she seemed to fall asleep on her feet. Zane chuckled.

"Of course you're not, Brookie." Jo gently wrapped an arm around her daughter, and followed Zane, Dylan catching up. By the time they returned home, the girls were all falling asleep on their feet, and they were guided upstairs and tucked into bed. Finally, Jo shut their bedroom door and climbed into bed herself. Zane was laying back against the pillows, staring up at the ceiling, twisting his wedding ring. "I thought you'd be asleep by now." She propped herself onto her elbow and watched him. He turned to her, shaking his head. A moment passed, before he reached out, pulling her against his chest. She snuggled into him, tucking her head beneath his chin and letting him wrap his arms tight around her.

"You know, my grandmother fancied herself a seer."

"Essa Donovan? A _seer_?" Jo asked, looking up at him. He nodded.

"Ridiculous, I know."

"I thought you don't believe in that stuff." She said, reaching behind her and playing with his fingers. He pressed a kiss to her hair.

"I don't. But... over the last year... I can't help wondering... if maybe she really was." Jo pulled away, looking up at him.

"What do you mean?" He sighed, meeting her eyes.

"When I was ten, a couple months before she died, she gave me eught predictions. Eight things she said she saw, that she knew would come true; that would change my life." He sighed. "So far, four have come true. And... I was thinking, and realized that... another one just came true." She raised an eyebrow, settling on her elbow and tangling her fingers in her dark hair.

"Oh really? What... ones?" He sighed, thinking for a moment, before shifting onto his side and propping himself onto his elbow, mirroring her. Silence settled between them, before he reached out, gently brushing a strand of hair back behind her ear before saying,

"She... told me..." He sighed again, becoming lost in the last truly happy memories he had of his grandmother.

"Come here my darling." The young boy joined his grandmother on the sofa. She wrapped an arm around his shoulders, and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"What is it, Grandma?" She sighed, brushing the hair out of his eyes.

"I've seen wonderful things for you, Zanie." He snorted, rolling his eyes. Then, he pulled away.

"You're playing with me, Grandma. There's no such thing as fortune tellers." He got up, but Essa grabbed his hand, pulling him back to the sofa.

"Now you listen to me, Zane Matthew. I know what I saw, and it's going to play out. All of it- whether you believe it or not, it will come true." He sighed, crossing his arms and leaning back against the sofa. He kicked his feet momentarily before turning his blue eyes to her. The old woman tossed her black hair- still as vibrant and lush as it had been when she was a younger woman. She reached out, taking his hands and gently playing with her grandson's fingers. It amazed her how much he looked like Tessa- even his temperment was like his mother's.

"You..." She took a deep breath. "You will arrive in a small town, tucked away in the Oregon forests. But it won't be your typical small town. This town is special, very special. It was built for people like you." She said, leaning over and touching her forehead to her grandson's. He glanced down at her hands, at the ring on her finger.

"Loners, then." He whispered. Essa shook her head.

"No. Brilliant people. Of all types." She reached up, gently raking a hand through his hair. "And you'll live in this special town, for the rest of your life. You'll make it your home."

"What's the second prediction?" He asked, pulling away from her. She gave him a small smile, and looked down at the ring on her finger.

"Not long after you've come to this town, you'll meet a girl." Zane's interest perked up slightly, and he sat up.

"Will she be hot?" Essa chuckled softly, patting his knee.

"She will be beautiful, Zanie, and her family will be steeped in tradition and honor. You'll fall in love with this girl- the only daughter of a Colonel." A moment passed, before she removed the ring on her finger, holding it up. The diamond glinted in the light. "You will give this to that girl- to the Colonel's daughter- and you will marry her." He pulled away.

"Woah, I'm not marrying anyone!" Essa laid a hand on his shoulder.

"You will, eventually." She reached up, cradling her grandson's face in her hand. Her blue eyes seemed to spark with unknown secrets, before she whispered, "And you'll be there to witness the birth of three children- your children. This girl will make you a father, and you'll do all you can to protect her and the daughters she brings into the world- D, B and L."

He furrowed his brow. "D... what the-"

"The names of your daughters will start with those initals." She sighed.

"This doesn't make any sense, Grandma-" Essa stood, going into the kitchen and fixing two cups of cider before returning to the sofa. She pushed one mug into her grandson's hands, before,

"Predictions don't often make sense, Zanie, they just are. And as for you, I'm not done." She sipped her drink. "I told you that your future is laced with eight predictions, and I've only gotten through three, because someone keeps interrupting." He blushed, looking into his cider. She chuckled softly, patting his knee, before her gaze turned sad. "You'll lose her- the Colonel's daughter you'll marry." Zane's head snapped up.

"What? I... you can't be serious! Now I know you're-" But he didn't have a chance to get up, because Essa squeezed his knee.

"Just listen to me." He fell silent. "Thank you." She looked into her grandson's face, tears sliding down her cheeks. "She doesn't die, but she's not exactly the girl you married either. She is just slightly different, with different memories of a time that can't exist. You will lose her, only to find her again, and bring her back to the life she doesn't remember." A moment passed, before he reached up, brushing a tear off her cheek. "The woman you once loved will come back-"

"But-" Essa held up her hand.

"Don't interrupt." He fell silent. "She'll come back, and try to make you choose. And she will die."

"Wait, so the... the only I love will die or..."

"No. The only who returns will die."

"So what happens to the one-"

"I don't know what'll happen to her. Now let me finish, please." Essa sighed, reaching up to lift her grandson's chin and stare into his eyes. "You'll be faced with the woman you love leaving you forever, and it'll be up to you to get her back." She searched his face.

"What's the last one?" She sighed, letting go of her grandson's chin.

"Unfortunately, the final prediction..." She bit her lip. "the town you have grown to love will face hardship, and... you and your family will be forced to make a choice."

The memory faded, and he turned his gaze back to his wife. Jo waited. A moment passed, before Zane shook his head. "Never mind. It's not important." She raised an eyebrow.

"Not important?" He shook his head.

"No. Not at all." He whispered, pressing his lips to hers.


	36. Chapter 36

******Rifiuto: Non Mirena**

******A/N: One more chapter after this one. I think I can manage to wrap this up quite nicely, and I know just the way to do it...**

She looked up as the doors to her office slid open. Zane made his way towards her, setting a cup of coffee down in front of her. She instantly snatched it up, sitting back in her chair and abandoning the reports she'd been working on in favor of the coffee and the man before her. He watched her, perching gently on the edge of her desk. She sighed, savoring the caffine as the beverage slid down her throat.

"Girls at school?" He nodded.

"How's your day been so far?" She shrugged.

"The usual. You?" He thought a moment, setting his cup on her desk and going to her.

"It's... looking up a lot better since I stopped by here." He whispered, leaning down and capturing her lips in a deep kiss. She slid her hand up, tangling in his hair, as her phone rang, and slowly, she struggled to reach for it on her desk. Eventually, she picked it up, pushing her husband away.

"What the-" She glanced at Zane before answering the call. "Hello? A... Uncle Theo... I... yes... yes, I... I'm at work, why?" She glanced at Zane, who reached down, laying a hand on her thigh. She reached down, covering his hand as she listened to Mansfield talk. "I... okay I... yes, we... we'll be right there..." She hung up, turning to Zane.

"What's wrong? Jojo?" Tears instantly clouded her vision, and she dropped her phone on her desk.

"He... Uncle Theo... he wants us to... to get the girls and... and catch the helicopter... he... he said they're... they've found the soldiers that were... MIA and... and he thinks... he thinks that Davie... that Davie might be among them..."

"That's wonderful, Jojo." She threw her arms around his neck, letting her tears fall, and he pressed a kiss to her hair, before getting up and helping her to her feet. "Come on." After letting Henry know that they were going to be taking the rest of the day off, they rushed down to Tesla. Jo went skidding into the principal's office, mentally counting down the minutes.

"Mommy, what's wrong?" Dylan asked, climbing to her feet. The sight of her mother's tear-streaked face and disheveled hair brought instant alarm, and Jo's prompt reply did nothing to lessen to their worry, only build on it.

"Come on, babies. You're leaving school early." The girls looked at each other.

"Why?" Brooke asked, climbing to her feet and picking up her backpack.

"Because we have to catch a flight to D.C. Uncle Theo wants to see us." She took her oldest daughter's hand, as Zane scooped Luca into his arms. Brooke followed, casting a glance back at the principal. The flight to D.C. was long, and the girls passed the time doing their homework, while Jo sat staring out the window, her mind racing with thoughts of the worst possible things that could happen. Eventually, they landed in D.C., and were escorted to Ronald Regean Nation Airport. Mansfield met them at the nearest gate, along with someone they weren't expecting.

"Uncle Theo!" The old general went to Jo, wrapping her in a hug once she got close enough.

"You're looking well, Josefina." He whispered, taking her face in his hands. She gave him a small smile. A moment passed, before Mansfield reached out, taking Zane's hand firmly in his. "Zane." The younger man gave him a tense smile; he still didn't entirely trust the general, though they got along better than when he and Jo had first started dating. When Mansfield released Jo, he turned to his goddaughter's little girls. A smile instantly broke out on his face, and he opened his arms. "And how are my little darlings?" He asked, as the girls each went to him in turn. "You've all grown so much... you look more and more like your mother every day. They're beautiful, truly beautiful." The girls blushed, and Zane beamed with pride as he wrapped his wife in his arms. Jo reached up, wiping the tears off her cheeks.

"What's wrong, Uncle Theo? Why are we here?"

Mansfield opened his mouth, to speak, but the person with him cleared their throat. Jo turned. The young man stepped forward. A moment of confusion passed over her face briefly, as she took in the jeans and t-shirt he wore beneath the jacket. His black hair was tousled and the stubble on his face was evident of five o'clock shadow. But his eyes-

"Um, sorry, do we... do we know you?" The younger man rolled his eyes.

"You should. We... dated for two years before I proposed and then you... disappeared along with Carter, Henry, Fargo and Allison. But then again, we were never meant to be in that timeline, so..." He shrugged, hands in his pockets.

"Z... Zane?" She choked out, stepping forward. He scoffed gently, glancing at Mansfield.

"Actually, it's Evan Cross now." Jo thought a moment, before she laughed softly.

"So... what have you been up to for the last year, Evan?" She asked, crossing her arms. He thought a moment.

"Move up to Vancouver, started a software company-"

"Coss Photonics?" Dylan asked, eyes wide. Her parents turned to her.

"How do you-" Dylan turned to her mom.

"It's the biggest breakthrough in software technology since Gates. He's one of the... richest bachelors in the world." She said, grinning at him. He chuckled softly.

"Was one of the richest bachelors. I got married about... a year ago." Jo raised her eyebrows.

"Congrats." He blushed.

"Thanks."

"But... other than that, why are you here?" Zane asked; he didn't miss the disappointed look that crossed Dylan's face at the mention of marriage. Evan shrugged.

"You helped me once, and... I figured, being here would be the least I could do, for helping you with your little... time traveling problem." Jo gave him a small smile, and then reached out; he let her wrap him in a hug.

"Thank you, for being here." She whispered. He pressed a kiss to her neck.

"My pleasure." He murmured into her hair. When they pulled away, he said, "I can't wait to meet this brother of yours." Jo took a deep breath.

"Neither can I."

Eventually, the missing soldiers began to come through the terminal, and Jo eagerly checked and asked every one she saw about her brother, to no avail. Around four, Mansfield sent them home, promising to call her if her brother showed.


	37. Chapter 37

******Rifiuto: Non Mirena**

******A/N: And here it is, the final chapter of _Back Where We Belong_. Is it bad to say that I already have a sequel in the works?**

Zane's hand on her back caused her pause, but after a moment, she continued on, swiping her id through the checkpoint, and slipping past two of her security personnel, her husband and daughters following behind. The girls had begged to come with them to work, if only to be near her. After the obvious disappointment of the day before, Zane and the girls had stuck close by her side.

"Maybe he missed his flight. Or the plane had engine trouble."

"That's not what happened, Lua."

"How do you know?"

"Girls, that's enough!" Zane snapped; Brooke and Luca fell silent, casting glances at their mom.

"He didn't miss his flight. He wasn't on the flight because he's not coming home." Jo choked out. Her eyes were dry; she'd spent the entire night before curled in Zane's arms sobbing over the realization that Davie was never coming back. She'd given up on that hope years ago, but a tiny, microscopic part of her had held on, _convinced_ that her brother was alive and well. "He's never coming home." She choked out, sniffling. The girls shared worried glances, as Zane reached up and gently squeezed her shoulder. A moment passed, before he took her into his arms and rested his forehead to hers.

"I'm so sorry, Jojo." She gave him a small smile, before pulling away and taking his face in her hands.

"I know." She whispered, pulling away. Then, she turned and moved up the steps to the rotunda. Zane fell into step beside her, and slipped his hand into hers; the familiar weight of his fingers on hers brought comfort, and she squeezed gently. They continued up the next set of steps, listening to the girls' soft chatter, when suddenly, Jo stopped on the main landing of the rotunda.

"Jojo?" He asked, turning back to her. She didn't respond, but her mouth dropped as her eyes widened in shock.

"Mommy, what is it?"

"What's wrong?"

"Mama?"

She didn't respond; instead, she pulled away from her husband. Zane turned to whatever she was staring at, and felt his breath catch.

It couldn't be true.

Standing in the middle of the rotunda, was General Mansfield, James Lupo, Carter, and Henry. Zane could see Allison, Grace and Fargo clustered together, talking softly and casting curious glances towards the middle of the rotunda. And then, Zane let his eyes wander to the person standing with his back to them. He knew that build- all three of his brothers-in-law had that same build, that same black hair-

Jo knew it too. She knew it, but couldn't believe it. She choked on a gasp; the man turned when Carter pointed behind him, and her eyes widened at the familiar features. He looked like her, like their dad, like Luca and Ricco and Clarissa... like her girls... She covered her mouth with her hand, not trusting her voice, and instead, let her eyes wander over him. He was dressed in Army fatigues and boots, had a duffel in his hands, and his black hair was a touseled mess, but he looked... whole. Thin and pale, and tired, but _whole_. And then he smiled at her, and she _knew_.

"D... Davie?" Her voice was soft, filled with tears, and heartbroken; filled with hope and fear and pain. Everything she'd felt in the last few years, coming out in that one word. His smile grew, and he whispered,

"Hey Josie." Those two small words carried throughout the rotunda, and everyone stopped what they were doing to turn and stare at the young man in military uniform. A moment passed, before Jo glanced behind her; the girls looked up at her with wide eyes, and Zane gave her a small smile. Then, she pulled away from her husband, and slowly walked towards the older man. Her walk quickly turned into a run as she rushed towards him; tears clouded her vision, but she didn't bother wiping them away as she got closer. He moved to meet her in the middle of the floor, and dropped the duffel as she threw herself into his embrace, wrapping her arms tight around his neck. Her legs went around his waist, and she held tight to him, like she'd done so often as a child, growing up in Jersey.

He held her close, his arms tight around her small body, and he breathed in her scent, relishing the feel of her in his arms. She burst into tears, burying her face in his neck, and he tightened his grip on her, forcing himself to remember this feeling. A part of him screamed that this wasn't real, that she was a figment of his imagination, but when he set her back on her feet and took her face into his hands, he knew that no figment could be as real as she felt.

"Is it really you?" She choked out, and he nodded, unable to find his voice. He drank her in, his dark eyes roaming over her face, taking in everything about her, right down to the very last detail. His hands slowly moved from her cheeks down over her shoulders and arms, before settling on her waist.

"God Josie," He licked his lips, suddenly at a loss for words. "You grew up." She laughed; it was the only thing she could do. Tears slipped down his cheeks, and she reached up, gently brushing them away.

"A lot's happened since you've been gone, Davie." She replied, licking her own lips. He looked at her expectantly.

"Like?" She turned, looking back at her husband and children.

"Like my marrying Zane and having his babies." Davie's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Marriage?_ Babies_?" He took her face in his hands again. "Josie, you've... got to be kidding me." She shook her head.

"No. Three of them. And fifteen years of marriage." She said, as he wrapped her in a hug.

"That's wonderful, Josie." She wrapped her arms tight around his neck.

"Come on. I want you to meet my family." She tugged on his hand, and he followed, his eyes taking in the man and three little girls waiting for her. She turned back to him. "This is my husband, Zane." The two shook hands, Davie didn't miss the look of love the other man threw his sister's way. "And these are my daughters- Dylan, Brookelyn and Luca." Davie's head snapped up.

"Luca?" She nodded. "For... for..." Another nod.

"Yeah. Did they-" He nodded.

"They told me." He reached up, brushing a tear off her cheek, before turning to her daughters.

"Mommy, who's this?" Brooke asked, her blue eyes alight with curiosity. Zane knelt down, whispering softly in her ear,

"This is your Uncle Davie. He's Mommy's older brother. He just came back from Afghanistan." Jo could see the tears in her husband's eyes, and Zane smiled at her. She returned it, sniffling. Brooke looked at her father.

"So he finally came home?" Zane nodded.

"Uncle Davie's back where he belongs, right, Daddy?" Dylan asked. Again, Zane nodded, brushing a strand of hair off his oldest daughter's forehead.

"Yes baby girl, he is. Just like Mommy. They're both back where they belong." He said, straightening and taking Jo into his arms. She wrapped her arms tight around his neck, sniffling. He kissed her gently, and when they pulled away, she turned back to her brother, enveloping him in a tight hug. She choked on a sob as her husband's next words filled the rotunda. "Where they've always belonged."


End file.
